Outside
by londonbella
Summary: Life sucks and then you die. However true that may be, there's a large part of the coined term missing: everything in between. For 100 exiled teenagers sent to Earth to save mankind, life's an emotional rollercoaster full of passion, adventure, devastation, war, and bloodshed. For the daughter of the infamous Marcus Kane, the drop ship landing is just the beginning. Bellamy/OC.
1. Pilot

**Disclaimer: I do not own The 100 or any of the characters from the show. However, I do own my OCs, my writing, and any plotline I make up. **

* * *

**Pilot**

_Life sucks; then you die. Unfortunately, the second part hasn't really come yet. _

Just as she wrote the last word down in the small notebook she kept propped up against her knees, a buzzing sound rang over her in the small prison holding and she looked up to find the door opening. The unflattering blue lights sparked on. Cautiously, she closed her journal, put down her pencil, and swung her legs off her bed so her feet touched the cold concrete of the solitary cell.

A guard held open the door, spiking her curiosity from the cot she remained still on. Her surprise peaked when she saw Marcus Kane walk through the door, into the cell, marking it only the second visit she'd had from him in the entire year she'd been held prisoner.

"Alessia," he greeted her as the two guards followed him and shut the door. Alessia sighed and moved back to her original position with her knees against her chest and her journal in her lap.

"Dad," she replied sourly, unfazed by his appearance. She opened the journal again and sighed, "Don't tell me you're here for my revision. I know for a fact that it doesn't happen for another two weeks."

She began to write in her journal once more, ignoring her father's guilty gaze.

_It's been 97 years since our expulsion from Earth due to the radiation. It's been almost 18 that I've lived on the Ark, the single station formed from 12 different stations. In their eyes, 18 years is long enough for me._

"You need to get up," Kane ordered her with his hands behind his tense back. His daughter looked up at him.

"Why?"

"Get up, Prisoner 423. Face the wall," one of the guards behind Kane commanded. Having no choice, Alessia sighed, closed her journal, and got off of the small cot.

"What are you doing, Dad?" Alessia asked as she complied with the guard's demands and faced the wall adjacent to her.

"Hold out your right hand," said the guard that was intent on ordering her around. Alessia frowned.

"I told you, I'm not supposed to be reviewed for another _two _weeks. Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Do what he says, Alessia," Kane demanded, but didn't step any closer to her. Alessia turned her head to see Kane standing behind her left shoulder, just watching her. She didn't even have an option when the two guards came around her and one held her hand out while the other clasped a wristband on her, sealing it to her skin.

"What the _hell _are you doing? What's going on?" she nearly shouted, struggling against the guards. She glanced over her shoulder. Suddenly, it dawned on her as the guards began to drag her out of the cell without an explanation. She remembered, very distinctly, about what had happened to Clarke just days before she'd gotten arrested, herself. She whispered, quietly, "_No. _You're killing us all to save yourselves, aren't you?"

"No one's killing you," Kane told her as the guards began to drag her to the door. Alessia refused and managed to force herself out of their grasp. She walked closer to her father, who beckoned the guards to stand down for a few moments. "Alessia, you're being sent to the ground."

Her eyes widened. "The _ground_? Are you _insane_? That's gonna kill me anyway!"

"We don't have any options left," said Kane. "This is the way it has to be."

"You always say that!" the teenage criminal exclaimed frustratedly. "That's always your excuse! But you can't excuse yourself this time, Dad! You're sending me to _die_."

"You don't know that."

"Well there's a pretty good chance that I will," Alessia spat at him. She looked down at the wristband and eyed it for a quick moment before glancing up at Kane. "Not that you care, anyway."

"I do care." He stepped forward, a confounded look on his face. "Alessia, you're my _daughter. _Of course I _care _about you."

"Well you have a funny way of showing it," she said through her teeth. Alessia and Kane stared at each other for a while in utter silence, but Alessia could see the feigned guilt on her father's face. She knew he didn't care. Why would she think any more of him? "You know what—do it. Send me to the ground. At least I'll be away from _you_."

Despite her bold claim, Alessia did not move. She resented her father for everything he'd done, but she did not want to die. She wanted to feel the sun on her skin and the crispness of Earth's air, but the risks outweighed the benefits. She did not want to get sent to Earth, even though she would give anything to be out of her father's spiteful eye.

Kane stepped forward to face his daughter, and his mouth opened just the slightest. Alessia watched as she saw his face turn down while her father tried to grasp his feelings. When nothing came out, Alessia scoffed.

"Classic Dad," she whispered at his hesitation. Kane's face fell. "You can't even tell your own daughter that you love her while you're sending her to the ground to _die_."

Kane wanted to say something back, but he could see the hatred the resided behind his daughter's features. He knew she hated him, and she had much of a reason. So, he just looked up at the guards behind her and nodded.

"Take her."

Alessia looked to her left and her right and felt the guards as they came up behind her and each grabbed an arm. She struggled and screamed, refusing to leave the sanctity of her cell. Never before had she wanted to stay in her cell so badly. Never before had she wanted to stay on the _Ark _so badly.

Kane could hear his daughter's threats as the guards took her to the drop ship, and when she was gone, he looked around her prison cell. On the bed, he could see the black journal tossed to the side with a pencil not far away. He walked over to the journal and opened to the first open page.

_My father locked me in with no remorse. I only did the things I did to help people, probably like most of the people in this prison. I hate him, more now than ever. And I know he hates me, too. _

* * *

The drop ship was launched with not a second thought, signing all of their death sentences with one single button. All 100 prisoners were strapped to either seats or the wall with red buckles for their safety. Alessia could feel them all moving in the air, racing towards Earth.

"This blows," said the girl next to her, but Alessia did not say anything. "I'm gonna die just because I sold a few illegal parts to some desperate teenage boys. I thought I'd get arrested for something more _badass_, you know—?"

"No offense, but I don't really care," Alessia cut the girl off, tired of the chirping noise in her ear from the girl beside her. The girl looked at her from the side and gasped.

"Oh! You're Alessia, Councilor Kane's daughter, right?" Alessia said nothing. "I _heard _you got arrested, but I never found out what it was for. And you've been in solitary and everything. So…why'd you get arrested?"

The nosy girl was getting on Alessia's nerves. "None of your business."

She scoffed. "It obviously is my business since we're going down to Earth together just to die."

Before Alessia could even think of a response, there was a voice behind them that replied for her. "Way to be a Debbie Downer, Margot."

"Shut up, Jasper," Margot Roberts snapped, twisting her head to look between the seats at Jasper Jordan and Monty Green, who were standing stationary up against the wall. "I'm just telling the truth."

"She stole rations and gave them to the poor," said another voice, and Alessia turned her head to find a flat-faced boy with dark, slicked back hair and an antagonistic grin practically laughing at her. "She's a regular Robin Hood."

"And what are you in for, Murphy?" Margot snapped at him, her eyes cold. "Murder? Doesn't seem too far off."

John Murphy narrowed his eyes into slits. "Nothing's changed about you, Margot. Still the annoying little girl-next-door."

A furious expression overcame Margot's face as she leaned forward with her mouth open, bracing to yell at Murphy for his words. Alessia was about to protest to the childish arguments, but before anyone could start anything, the ship suddenly shook. A high-pitched shrill sounded about the drop ship, startling everyone.

The atmosphere. The small turmoil was because of the atmosphere.

Almost instantaneously, the unflattering blue lights turned on and around the drop ship, Chancellor Jaha's face graced the presence of the screens high above their heads. He stood tall in an empty part of the Ark, his eyes focused on the camera. The entire crowd went dead silent.

_"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now,"_ said Jaha. _"You've been given a second chance. And as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable." _

"My devotion to the Ark grows stronger and stronger every time he opens his mouth," Margot mumbled under her breath, displeased. Alessia didn't mind Chancellor Jaha, since he was more of a father to her than Kane ever was. However, his choice of words was disheartening. Instead of replying to the girl who wouldn't stop running her mouth beside her, Alessia rolled her eyes and listened to Jaha.

_"Those crimes will be forgiven; your records wiped clean. The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within a mountain." _The screen had now displayed its first worrying sign of disconnection, blurring out for just a moment before coming back. _"It was to be stocked with enough nonperishables to sustain 300 people for up to two years." _

But while Jaha's speech played on the drop ship's televisions, there was a wave of encouraging shouts to someone on the ship.

"The Spacewalk Bandit strikes again!"

Alessia craned her neck to look up and into the crowd of criminals, only to find some idiot had unstrapped himself from the harness and was floating in air.

"What an idiot," Alessia scoffed as she turned her head and looked back up at the screen. But there was too much encouragement for said "spacewalk bandit" that she couldn't hear. Suddenly, there was a shout, and it was not one of encouragement.

"Hey! You two! Stay put if you want to live!"

It was Clarke Griffin, the girl who shouted the warning to the prisoners. Alessia knew that much—and she found it to be a good thing. At least she knew _someone _on the drop ship and wasn't alone with a bunch of murders.

_"Mount Weather is life," _said Jaha on the screen, now audible since Clarke's warning stopped everyone from cheering. _"You must locate those supplies immediately. Your one responsibility is to stay alive." _

But Jaha's voice faded out again as the drop ship began to shake, more than before this time. This was not just passing through the atmosphere, this was pure turbulence. Another two people unbuckled their harnesses and then the ship started to really experience turmoil, causing all three floaters to crash into each other as the drop ship came to a hard descent.

They didn't even have to step foot on Earth to die. The ship could crash, and they could fry. It was a distinct possibility. The drop ship began to dwindle to the ground and the prisoners in their harnesses began to feel the panic of dying before ever reaching Earth. The rockets hadn't set off, and if they didn't, they would be goners.

"We're going to _die_!" Margot wailed beside Alessia, who just shut her eyes and awaited the worse like the rest of the prisoners. Would it be quick? Painless? One could only hope. Shouts and cries filled the ship while everyone waited the ending.

But then, the worst was over. The drop ship landed on the ground, the machines died, and the lights flickered back on. Everything was silent as everyone realized they were still breathing, despite their beliefs.

"Listen," Monty told Jasper, Margot, and Alessia. "No machine hum."

"We're on the ground," whispered Alessia to herself. She was so sure that they wouldn't survive.

"Whoa," Jasper whispered, looking around the drop ship in wonder. "That's a first."

Simultaneously, belt buckles clicked from all around, freeing the prisoners from their harnesses as they anxiously awaited to leave the drop ship and go outside. Margot quickly unbuckled her harness, as did Jasper and Finn, and Alessia hesitated. The landing might not have killed them, but the radiation could.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Margot exclaimed as she stepped over Alessia and met up with Monty and Jasper as they unhooked themselves from their harnesses. Alessia unbuckled as well, but she didn't follow Monty, Margot, and Jasper to wherever they were going. Instead, she found Clarke bending down by her seat, looking at the Spacewalk Bandit as he stood over a body.

"Finn, is he breathing?" she asked. Finn didn't say anything to respond.

"Alessia," someone grabbed her attention, and Alessia looked up to find Wells Jaha as he unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of his seat. She cocked an eyebrow as Wells came up to her and gave her a hug.

"Wells?" She pushed him back and shook her head. "What the _hell _did you do? Why are you here?"

"I got myself arrested when I found out that the prisoners were being sent to Earth," he told her. Just like that, it all made sense. It had been for Clarke, of course. She could see Clarke on the ground, looking up at them and eyeing Wells with disdain. She knew Clarke hated Wells; for good reason, too. He was the one that turned her father in for trying to tell the rest of the population about the Ark's unstable condition.

That secret had earned both her and Clarke to be condemned to solitary cells, though it had not been the reason for Alessia's arrest.

"Alessia." Clarke stood up, a tight look on her face. They were nowhere near as good of friends as they were once, since Alessia had tried to talk Clarke out of telling the people of the Ark about the oxygen problem. It was a small act of betrayal, but not enough for Clarke to hate her like she did Wells.

Suddenly, there was a shout. "The outer door is on the lower level. Let's go!"

Clarke looked to see the prisoners begin to flood down to the lower level. In protest, she cried, "No, we can't just open the doors!"

Clarke sped over to the ladder leading down and she raced down the steps. Alessia and Wells soon followed after, coming down just as Clarke was pushing her way through the crowd.

"The air could be toxic," she urged the man at the front of the ship, right at the doors. He was wearing a guard's uniform rather than a prisoner uniform.

"If the air is toxic, we're all dead, anyway," said the man pessimistically.

He turned to the doors right when someone called out, "Bellamy?"

The voice seemed to perk his interest, and he lifted his head up and looked towards where the exclamation came from. The crowd of prisoners cleared the way for the girl who spoke to this man, and she walked to the front slowly, her eyes wide. He was just as shocked, but more relieved than anything. The girl was petite with long, brown hair and a smooth complexion. She rushed up to the man blockading the door and he looked her up and down.

"My god, look how big you are." The girl launched herself into Bellamy's arms, hugging him tightly. After the moment of embrace, she slid down and glanced him over.

"What the hell are you wearing? A _guard's_ uniform?" she demanded.

"I borrowed it to get on the drop ship," he defended himself. "Someone's got to keep an eye on you."

Again, she hugged him. Alessia rolled her eyes, finding that the reunion was wasting everyone's time. Clarke raised an eyebrow in the front row. "Where's your wristband?"

"Do you mind?" the girl snapped at Clarke. "I haven't seen my brother in a year."

"No one has a brother!" shouted someone in the crowd.

"I'm pretty sure she _just _said that she had a brother! Idiot." Alessia could tell it was Margot who stated the condescending words.

"That's Octavia Blake!" another person exclaimed, remembering something important. "The girl they found hidden in the floor!"

Octavia was just about to lunge at whoever hollered the crude words when her brother held her back. "Octavia! Octavia, no!" Listening to Bellamy, Octavia stopped fighting him. "Let's give them something _else_ to remember you by."

"Yeah?" She turned around at him. "Like what?"

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years," he proposed, silencing his sister. Bellamy turned and pulled down the lever to open the doors, allowing a mass of light to shine through and meet the eyes of each and every prisoner.

The sun's rays hurt their eyes, but none of them blinked as they witnessed the moment they were experiencing. Fresh air filled their lungs, the wind combed through their hair, and the sun kissed their skin. It shone through the trees that were standing tall, towering above their short stances on the ground. Everything was so _bright, _so _clear, _and so _crisp. _It was all enhanced and new, like nothing ever experienced before.

Octavia took a step out on the door that was firmly planted on the ground having been lowered. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and felt the cool air hit her lungs. She exhaled this time, deep and slow, practically melting in the way the air felt. Things were dead silent as she walked up to the edge of the drop ships door, just shy of stepping down onto the ground.

Hesitating for only a split second, she jumped onto the ground with both feet planted, and a sense of accomplishment overwhelmed her.

She smiled and threw her hands up in the air. "We're back, bitches!"

The crowd roared in agreement, and everyone flooded out of the drop ship, dancing, smiling, and laughing. Alessia stepped onto the drop ship's door and surveyed the greenery of Earth. She took in a breath, finding the air cleaner and cooler than what the Ark had synthesized.

Nothing could be quite like Earth.

* * *

When things had died down from the hype of being back on the ground, Alessia found Clarke at the drop ship door, her head hovering over a map. She walked over to her blonde friend and cocked an eyebrow.

"What's the map for?" she asked. Clarke seemed a little out of place amongst the rest of the prisoners, who were enjoying the freshness of Earth without a care. She instead had an intense face on.

"I'm trying to figure out how we get to Mount Weather," said Clarke, looking up at Alessia. "If we want to survive, we need to listen to Jaha and get supplies."

"We've got problems," Wells announced to the two as he came around to them at the corner of the drop ship door. "The communications system is dead. I went to the roof—a dozen panels are missing. Heat fried the wires."

"Well, all that matters right now is getting to Mount Weather," Clarke urged. She looked down at the map. "See? Look, this is us. _This _is where we need to get to if we want to survive." She drew a line, symbolizing the hike they would have to engage upon to reach their desired destination.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Wells asked, and Clarke fell silent. Upon this, Wells realized, "Your father."

Alessia looked up at Wells, who immediately felt guilty over bringing up Clarke's father as she shut down. Finding them in desperate need of a subject change, Alessia spoke.

"Um…Mount Weather is pretty far out there," she commented. "We need to get there before dark so we should leave now."

"Ah. Cool. A map." Clarke, Alessia, and Wells looked behind them to see Jasper with a smile on his face. He looked at Clarke. "They got a bar in this town? I'll buy you a beer."

Behind him, Margot came to a stop and crossed her arms. "Smooth, Jasper. Smooth."

"You mind?" Wells snapped as he turned around at Jasper and shoved him away. Alessia stepped forward.

"Wells, what's your _problem_?" she said, finding it odd and unnecessary behavior for anyone, let alone Wells.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Murphy demanded as he walked up to Wells and Jasper with a group of other prisoners behind him. "Hands off of him. He's with us."

"Relax." Wells held up his hands defensively. "We're just trying to figure out where we are."

"We're on the ground." The group looked to the side to see Bellamy next to Octavia with a confused, condescending look on his face. "That not good enough for you?"

Wells hesitated, but then stepped forward. "We need to find Mount Weather. You heard my father's message. That has to be our first priority."

"Screw your father," Octavia blurted out. "What? You think you're in charge here? You, your little princess and…Robin Hood?"

Her eyes rolled over Alessia, who was idly standing by watching the argument. Octavia said the word with so much distaste that it instantly made Alessia furious. She stepped up with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Why don't you be quiet? After all, I stole to feed people like _you_."

"Hey!" snapped Bellamy. "Don't talk to my sister like that."

"None of this matters right now!" Clarke exclaimed, dismissing the entire argument as time was pressed. She spoke to the crowd. "We _need _to get to Mount Weather. Not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we'll get and the harder this'll be. How long do you think we'll last without those supplies? We're looking at a twenty-mile trek, okay? So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave. Now."

"I got a better idea. You three go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change," Bellamy suggested.

"Yeah!" the crowd chorused.

"You're not listening," Wells urged. "We all need to go!"

"Let them stay if they want to stay." Alessia looked around in disbelief. "You can all _starve_ if that's what you want!"

"Look at this everybody!" Murphy came up behind Wells and shoved him hard. Wells spun around. "The Chancellor of Earth."

"Think that's funny?"

Murphy did not respond. Instead, he just kicked Wells's knee so that he fell down onto the ground, crumbling from the broken limb. Clarke screamed out Wells's name, but the boys loyal to Murphy held her back. The same went for Alessia, who tried to help, too.

"No, but that was. All right, come on." Murphy smiled sadistically as Wells got up from the ground bravely and prepared to fight. One could see that Murphy was doubtful Wells would punch him and his injured leg didn't help his case.

As Alessia fought against the prisoners that held her back, she managed to punch one in the nose with her elbow, causing him to fumble back and hold his bleeding nose. The other one that held her stepped back to help his friend, leaving Alessia free to help Wells against Murphy. Instead, someone jumped down from the top of the drop ship and landed just in front of Murphy. The crowd fell dead silent once more.

"Kid's got one leg," said Finn. "How about you wait until it's a fair fight?"

Murphy instantly stopped his antagonizing, and afterwards, Octavia walked up to the brave teenager and said, "Hey, Spacewalker! Rescue _me _next."

Finn smiled and walked off, ending the fight between Murphy and Wells. Clarke immediately rushed over to Wells and began to help him sit so she could examine his injury. Alessia stood beside Wells and Clarke, surveying the awkward silence between the two feuding friends. She barely noticed it when Margot came up to her side and sucked in a hard breath.

"Ouch. That had to have hurt." Alessia glanced at Margot from the side, incredulous to her behavior. "I mean, did you _hear _that crack? Murphy definitely fractured _something_."

"Did you get thrown into jail because you talk so damn much?" the brunette asked rhetorically, looking at Margot with widened dark eyes. Margot scoffed.

"I already told you what I was thrown in jail for, remember?"

"Sorry. I must've gotten sidetracked by how _annoying _you are." Alessia turned back to Wells and Clarke and shook her head with a disinterested scoff. Margot shrugged.

"See, despite what you might think, that's not an insult to me." The teenager smiled. "I've been called worse."

"So, Mount Weather…" Finn walked up to Clarke with his hands in his pockets. "When do we leave?"

Clarke stood up from the ground. "Right now. We'll be back tomorrow with food," she told Wells.

"How are the two of you gonna carry enough food for one hundred?" asked Wells, concerned. Clarke looked up at Alessia.

"Well, we have three."

"Five," corrected Finn as he spun around and grabbed both Jasper and Monty from behind him. The two did not object at all. "Can we go now?"

"Ooh, make it six!" Margot volunteered beside Alessia, with an innocent smile. Alessia scoffed.

"Yeah…count me out. I'll stay here with Wells." She looked down at her injured friend. "_Someone's_ gotta make sure they don't kill you."

"Appreciate it," Wells muttered facetiously, avoiding her eyes. Alessia frowned, unimpressed with Wells's ungratefulness.

"So five, then?" Clarke finished. Suddenly, Octavia burst into their group.

"Sounds like a party! Make it six again." She clapped her hands together enthusiastically.

Bellamy came up to her shoulder and said roughly, "Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

"Going for a walk."

"Hey." Clarke stepped forward, eyeing the Ark's wristband on Finn's arm that looked like it'd been tampered with. She wore a concerned, almost furious expression. "Were you trying to take this off?"

"Yeah." Finn shrugged. "So?"

"So? This wristband transmits your vital signs to the Ark. Take it off and they'll think you're dead."

"Should I care?"

"Well, I don't know. Do you want the people you love to think you're dead?" the hardheaded blonde proposed. "Do you want them to follow you down here in two months? Because they _won't _if they think we're dying." Finn didn't say anything, but rather avoided her eyes shamefully. "Okay. Now, let's go."

Finn, Margot, Jasper, Monty, and Octavia all went out, set towards the forest, but Clarke stayed behind and walked over to Wells. Ignoring Alessia's presence, Clarke looked down at Wells with distaste.

"You shouldn't have come here, Wells."

Wells watched as Clarke walked away angrily, storming off with the group to Mount Weather. Alessia watched as well, finding that it was both Clarke's right and Clarke's fault that she was being so rude to Wells. Alessia couldn't quite relate, however—if someone turned in her father for doing something illegal, she probably would've said good riddance.

Alessia turned around and looked at Wells. She gave a small shrug. "I'm sure she'll…get over it. Sometime." She bent down next to Wells's leg with a sigh. "Let's see if we can get you up and walking."

* * *

Once Wells was walking again, he and Alessia decided to leave the camp to see if they could find water and branches for firewood. The two walked through the forest at a slow pace, taking in the greenery of Earth.

"It's surreal," Wells said, fascinated by the woods. "I mean…we've seen _pictures, _but—"

"Yeah, yeah." She sighed heavily and used a tree to help her climb the uneven ground. "It's a real sight for sore eyes."

The young Jaha looked at his friend from the side, feeling sorry for her. He didn't know how bad it probably was while she was in solitary, just like Clarke, forced to live her days in silence. Absently, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Alessia. About what Kane did. He was wrong to lock you up."

Alessia scoffed. "He was being _Kane, _Wells. I didn't expect anything else from him." She hung her head. "My dad has a bad habit of putting the law before his personal feelings."

"Your revision was in two weeks, right?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yep." A bitter laugh escaped Alessia's lips as she thought of the day she'd thought of a million times before, all ending in the same outcome. "And there's no doubt that I would've been floated. What kind of monster steals rations to feed the poor?" she said sarcastically.

Wells scoffed. "I doubt it. I'm sure my father would've pardoned you."

"Yeah, but mine wouldn't have." Alessia looked at Wells with a blunt glance. "He would've been happy to have me gone. Finally rid of me at last."

"You know he doesn't feel that way about you," Wells assured her firmly, trying to lighten the mood. "He's just _sad_ that he doesn't have your mom around."

"I'm sad that my mom isn't around, too. But at least I gave him a _chance. _I didn't automatically hate him because my mom wasn't around." She looked at Wells with hard eyes. "He looks at me like I'm a problem, Wells. Always has, always will. And to get rid of that problem, he sent me to Earth where—up until an hour or two ago—I was ninety-nine percent sure I was going to die."

"But you didn't," he pointed out. She sighed.

"But I didn't." Alessia looked down at her wristband. "And he knows that. Problem's not solved." Wells was about to protest—to tell her that she wasn't a problem—but she stopped him and move on, unwilling to talk about it anymore. "But I'm done talking about my dad. Why don't we talk about Clarke's?" She stopped them in their tracks and looked at him seriously. "Why'd you do it, Wells?"

"I don't…" Wells turned away, shaking his head. "I don't know."

"Bullshit. You don't turn on your best friend like that. _I _didn't, I just tried to talk her out of doing what she was gonna do." They began to walk through the forest again. "You never thought about the nice approach?"

"I tried it, Alessia. _You _tried it. She wasn't going to listen to us," he pushed. She scoffed.

"So you turn on your best friend? What'd you do, steal a page from my dad's book or something?" She looked back at Wells with a distinct glare, but he shook his head.

"I don't know why I did it, Alessia," he said at last, refusing to say anything else about it. "And all I want her to do is forgive me."

Alessia snapped a twig off of a tree and added to the bundle of branches in her hand. "Well, that's gonna take a whole lot of time, Wells. You betrayed her." Wells was quiet, and Kane's daughter sighed. "Come on. There's no water here; let's turn back. We can make another trip out here later."

Dropping the conversation, the two headed back to the drop site and put down the firewood that they had collected in a pile. As they did so, Murphy and his sidekick, John Mbege, walked over to them.

"Find any water yet?" he asked.

Wells straightened with a sigh. "No, not yet. But I'm going back out if you want to come." Looking to his side at where Murphy and Mbege were sneaking glances at, he could see the words "_first son, first to dye" _carved into the side of the drop ship.

Alessia noticed the lingering stares to the drop ship, so she crossed her arms and looked in the direction all three men were staring at. Upon seeing the hateful words, she turned to Murphy and Mbege with a pissed off expression.

"Seriously?" she disapproved.

Murphy chuckled under his breath and itched his nose to reveal the knife that he most likely used to carve the saying into the drop ship. "You know, my father, he begged for mercy in the airlock chamber when your father floated him."

Wells, taking the higher road, just sniffled and brushed Murphy's shoulder with a low, "You spelled 'die' wrong, geniuses."

The two Johns looked back as Wells walked off to the rest of the camp. Alessia walked up to Murphy's side and smiled bitterly.

"Use your head for something _other _than a hat rack, Murphy."

* * *

Nightfall soon came, but Alessia and Wells spent their time further from the rest of the clan of prisoners that despised the both of them for no other reason than their last names. None of them seemed to know that Alessia hated her father as much as they did—or, perhaps, even more—but just assumed that she was as loyal to Kane as Wells was to Jaha. Though she hated her father, she did not agree with the attitude of the rest of the prisoners. It would not be a functional society with murder being allowed, and she knew that well.

When Wells and Alessia finally returned back to the drop site after trying desperately to find water, they found the crowd whooping and hollering by the glowing embers of a fire.

"What the hell…?" Alessia mumbled to herself. Wells didn't respond, but rather pushed himself through the outer circle around the fire. Alessia followed him, staying just a pace behind as Wells made his way up to the burning fire. The two could see on the other side that one of the prisoners sat with her arm extended while another took a knife and lifted up the wristband on her arm. In seconds, it snapped in half, and the crowd hollered when the bracelet met the fire and started to burn, along with many others.

"Who's next?" shouted Bellamy, glancing around the group. Wells shook his head.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, firmly standing up to Bellamy. One of the prisoners braced to step forward and harshly explain things to Wells and Alessia, but Bellamy stopped the prisoner and handled the situation himself.

"We're liberating ourselves. What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're trying to get us all killed," replied Wells. "The communication system is dead. These wristbands are _all _we've got. Take them off and the Ark will think we're dying. That it's not safe for them to follow!"

"That's the point, Chancellor," Bellamy patronized. "We can take care of ourselves. Can't we?"

"Yeah!" chorused the crowd. Alessia brushed past Wells to face Bellamy with a bewildered, incredulous expression on her face.

"Have you gone completely _insane_?" she snapped, blinking at him in disbelief. "We _can't _take care of ourselves. Even if we could, the people of the Ark deserve better than staying up there! They pardoned all of us."

"And you're actually buying that, Robin Hood?" he proposed, cocking an eyebrow. "Sure, _you'll_ get pardoned. But only because you're Kane's daughter. The rest of us aren't as lucky."

She wanted to protest—to say that she wasn't lucky at all. That her father _locked _her in a solitary cell because he decided that, instead of being a normal father and handing punishment by yelling or preventing her from having a social life, he locked her in a _jail _cell until her eighteenth birthday, where she'd be reviewed and most likely floated. That wasn't luck. Being sent to Earth—being _pardoned _two weeks before her eighteenth birthday_—_was luck.

"You think this is a game?" Wells shouted to the crowd. "Those aren't just our friends and our parents up there. They're our farmers, our doctors, our engineers. I don't care _what _he tells you. We won't survive here on our own. And besides, if it really is safe, how could you not want the rest of our people to come down?"

"My people already _are _down," Bellamy countered. He pointed to the sky. "_Those _people locked my people up."

"You stow away on _one _drop ship and all of a sudden they become _your _people?" Alessia challenged, finding the fakeness of Bellamy's words. He didn't _know _any of them—the only reason he came down was for Octavia.

Bellamy tensed, but soon came up with another excuse. "Those people killed my mother for the crime of having a second child." He looked at Wells. "Your father did that."

"My father didn't write the laws," Wells pointed out.

"No. He enforced them," Bellamy agreed.

Alessia scoffed. "Bellamy, you can't blame the Chancellor or even _Wells _for your mother's poor choices." Bellamy looked down at her with eyes that flared red. "She knew the law when she had your sister. She chose to _hide _the crime she'd committed. Don't start accusing people of things that were out of their control."

"Well, here, there are no laws," said Bellamy with a tight jaw. A chorused agreement rippled through the crowd. "Here, we do whatever the hell we want _whenever _the hell we want! Now, you two don't have to like it. You can even try to stop it or change it; kill me. You know why? Whatever the hell we want."

"Whatever the hell we want!" Murphy shouted, and it caused a undulation effect in the crowd. They began to chant the words like a mantra, showcasing the power that Bellamy held over the crowd. There were no more words spoken as the crowd kept repeating the words over and over again until a thunderous cracking sounded above them. Two seconds later, water began to pour from the heavens, soaking them all with water and excitement.

"We need to collect this," Wells yelled over the rain to Bellamy, who stared at the young Chancellor with hard, blatant eyes.

All he said was: "Whatever the hell we want."

And while the crowd cheered and hollered for the rain that poured on their skin, Wells turned and angrily stormed out from the rest of the crowd. Bellamy watched as the Chancellor's son left, leaving only Kane's daughter to detest his ways.

Her hair was soaking wet, clumping into thick strands as the water came down heavy. Beads of water covered her face, as it did the rest of the 100.

Over the rain, she shouted, "You and your followers can chant 'whatever the hell we want' until you're blue in the face, Bellamy. But don't come crying to us when your plan crumbles." She paused. "And trust me, it _will _crumble."

The thunder roared again.

* * *

Kane stared out the window of his room in the Ark, looking down at the Earth as it orbited. He'd had to make so many tough decisions in the last twelve hours it was groundbreaking—no pun intended. On top of sending his daughter to the ground, potentially to die, he'd had to arrest Abby Griffin for breaking the law while saving the Chancellor's life. As acting Chancellor, he needed to make sure that he took no crime lightly.

However, this method wasn't popular among all. Callie Cartwig stormed into his room uninvited, claiming, "Are you out of your _mind_? You can't just kill everyone who disagrees with you!"

"Now, you all think I'm the bad guy," Kane resented, licking his lips and shaking his head. "But I'm the only one who's willing to do what it takes to _save _us."

"She's my best friend!"

"I sent my _daughter _down to Earth, Callie. Where she will most likely die," Kane argued, having no remorse for the woman before him who pleaded for Dr. Griffin's life. "So what do you want me to say? I'm sorry? I'm not. Friendship—_family_—is a luxury we can't afford. And if I have to take us down to a _cosmic _Adam and Eve, I will do it."

"Please," begged Callie. "Show mercy. If not for Abby, then for me. Or even for your daughter, who you never showed any _ounce _of mercy to."

"You don't know anything about what I did or what I did not show my daughter," snapped Kane. Callie did not flinch at all. "And mercy is something that we can't afford—not then, not now."

Callie was at a loss, completely dumbfounded on what to do next. If he couldn't show mercy for something so close to him—a daughter, no less—he would never show mercy for Abby.

* * *

She couldn't sleep. It was her first night on Earth and, unlike the rest of the 100, she could not sleep peacefully knowing that mankind had returned home. There were too many things to worry about: food, shelter, survival. How could they survive pitted against each other? Bellamy Blake was sincerely screwing _everything _up.

She slept a little ways away from Wells, since the two of them had to band together being as the rest of the prisoners hated their guts and most likely wanted to kill them. That was another reason she couldn't sleep—the fear of someone coming and kidnapping her in the middle of the night. One of the prisoners could easily kill her without her knowledge if she was asleep. It was a scenario very possible.

However, she wasn't the one to be taken.

Since she was trying to sleep, Alessia kept her eyes closed and tried hard to keep her breathing even. It made her seem like she was in slumber, when she was really awake enough to hear Wells scream against a muffled hand and a hushed sound from someone else. Over the next minute, she could hear the shuffling of the leaves as Wells presumably got up from his position on the ground and went with whoever was taking him. Alessia's eyes snapped open, and although she wasn't dumb enough to risk her life for Wells, she also couldn't let him die. Not just for her own survival amongst a hundred prisoners that despised her, but also for Jaha.

Once she was sure no one knew that she was awake, she lifted herself from the ground and followed pursuit of Wells and his kidnapper, which she was certain was Bellamy. Time proved that she was right when Bellamy brought Wells to a secluded clearing far away from the drop site.

In the midst of the dark night, Alessia could make out a gun in Bellamy's hand. She kept her breathing to a minimum.

"That's far enough. I don't want to shoot you, Wells—hell, I like you—but I do need _them_ to think that you're dead." He pointed his gun to the sky, obviously referring to the Ark's citizens.

"Why?" Wells pushed. "Why are you doing this? For real—not some crap about getting to do what you want to do?"

"I have my reasons," he said ominously. "I also have the gun so I ask the questions. And the question is, why aren't you helping me? Your dad banishedyou, Wells, and yet here you are, still doing his bidding, following the rules. Aren't you tired of always doing what's expected of you? Stand up to him. Take off that wristband and you will be _amazed _at how good it feels!"

"No." Wells paused. "Never. Not gonna happen. Is that clear enough for you?"

Bellamy sighed. "Yeah. It is. I'm sorry it had to be this way."

Right when Alessia was about to reveal herself and demand that Bellamy put down the gun and leave, she saw him put it away. She was confused, at first, but then she saw two shadows behind Wells. She couldn't see all that clearly because of the darkness, but she hear it. Wells started to shout, so she burst out into a sprint from the bushes towards where she saw her friend.

"Wells!" Alessia shouted as she ran, but she was blockaded by Bellamy, who gripped her arms and prevented her from moving. She tried to fight him, but he had a grip too tight and head-on for her to escape. Using all the strength she had, she fought against the grips that were bound to give her purple bruises in the morning. "Bellamy! Get the hell _off _of me!"

"You shouldn't have come here," Bellamy warned. "I wasn't gonna make you take yours off just yet."

She maneuvered her hands so that they forced Bellamy's arms back to his side, and they stood parallel to each other, neither one of them giving up. Her breathing was heavy, as was his.

"You _touch _me, Bellamy Blake, and my worst crime won't just be stealing to feed the poor," she warned, touching her wristband just to make sure that it was still there. As much as she wanted to get back at her father, telling people she was dead wasn't the way to go about things. "You won't get this wristband off until I'm dead."

Suddenly, Wells screamed loudly just as the sound of metal cracked, and Alessia's heart sank. They cut it off—they won.

Bellamy stared at her. "Well, it looks like we got _his _off."

Alessia swallowed hard, trying to mask her disappointment. "I won't be so easy."

"Lucky for me, I wasn't counting on it," Bellamy spat before walking down the uneven slope and bumping her shoulder, informing her that he wouldn't be so easy, either.


	2. Earth Skills

**Can you believe it's been over a month? I can't believe it. I've been having some issues lately but I am slowly and surely trying to make sure I keep my promises to update on here. I will be trying for my other stories shortly, this one just came easier for some reason. Please enjoy the chapter and my apologies for the wait. **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Earth Skills**

"Day two on the ground and I'm absolutely positive we're going to die."

Alessia sat on the forest floor against the trunk of a lively tree, staring up at the beautiful sight of a rising sun. It soaked into her skin, warming her and complimenting the light breeze. It was much more than she'd ever imagined—not that she ever imagined she would be on Earth but once_. _However, though her claim was spoken aloud, it was not meant for foreign ears. She had secluded herself far away from the population of her fellow juvenile prisoners for this purpose alone.

There were no journals on Earth. No paper; no pens. She didn't have a place to write down all of the thoughts and concerns she had inside of her. Since her childhood, she'd found that writing things down helped her a great deal. Alessia had received the trait of needing to release pent-up anger and frustration in writing from her mother since Kane could bring a secret to the grave and never feel guilty about it. When her father would be too strict or be too neglecting (and this was often), she would always feel a lot better once she wrote it down—thus the origin of her journal. However, her previously mentioned journal was in her prison cell on the Ark and had no doubt been rifled through by Kane. It was normal practices for teenagers not to want their parents to read their private thoughts, but Alessia was different. She _hoped _her father looked through her journal. Maybe he would finally understand her.

"We are unstructured and reckless," continued Alessia, half-grumbling her words, "and led by an egotistical _maniac _who will pit us against each other and cause our demise even _if _Earth is survivable." She paused, and in her silence, she ran her fingers across the blades of grass that grew in unorganized patches over the soil. It was beautiful, not deadly—at least, she hoped not. "We need to tell the Ark that we're down here. That Earth _is _survivable. Because if we don't tell them…"

She didn't want to say it out loud. A population of more than 2,000 people existed on the Ark and they would all be dead if they didn't come down to Earth within the next few months. They would all be dead if the 100 did not come through on their mission. And knowing her father, Kane would not wait to terminate more lives than necessary to save himself.

After thinking to herself, Alessia finally scoffed at her own dramatics and the idiocracy of her whining. "This is stupid. I'm talking to myself. I'm seriously…_talking _to myself."

All of a sudden, a roar sounded in the distance. It wasn't the roar of an animal, but the roar of the crowd back at the drop site. They were chanting like they were encouraging something that was happening. Alessia instantly stood up, brushed herself off, and listened to the chanting she heard.

The sounds became clearer, and she could make out the word "fight" in the distance.

"Hell," she murmured before breaking off into a sprint to return back to camp.

She emerged from the trees, witnessing just as Wells punched Murphy right in the jaw, making the other prisoner stumble back. The delinquents egged them on with hoots and hollers while Bellamy stood just a few feet away from the brawl, a thin layer of sweat covering his face and an interested look in his eye.

"Hey!" Alessia shouted as she hurried over to Wells and Murphy and stepped between them, preventing Murphy from bulldozing into Wells. Attempting to block the fight, she held out her hands as a barrier and looked between Wells, Murphy, and finally at Bellamy. Her teeth clenched. "What the _hell_ is it you're trying to prove here?"

"Oh, look." Murphy spat, interrupting Alessia's attention from Bellamy. "It's Robin Hood; always coming to the rescue. You seem to have a profile, don't you? Saving the weak and helpless all the—"

It came fast, but Alessia's fist tightened and she sprang forward, hitting Murphy in his already sore jaw, just adding to the pain that Wells had first given. The shock of her attack and her force was so hard that it knocked Murphy onto the ground, landing right on his back. She turned around at Wells and Bellamy and unconsciously shook out her hand from the tightness and soreness that resulted from the blow she delivered. But just as she'd gotten her need to purge from her mother, she'd gotten her tough skin from her father. It wasn't the first time she'd punched someone so hard they'd fallen.

When she was finally able to turn back at Wells and Bellamy, she could see that they were looking at her through scandalized eyes and judging her almost as if she were a different person. Alessia sighed, but moved on from her indiscretion by looking at both with cold eyes.

"At this rate, we'll be dead even if Earth is survivable!" she exclaimed frustratedly, the distaste obvious in her tone. She glanced behind them to the rest of the prisoners. "This can't be our daily routine and all of you know that!"

"We have no rules here," replied a nonchalant Bellamy. "So it _can_ be our daily routine. If we want it to be."

Wells looked back at him incredulously. "Don't you see you can't control this?"

From the ground, Murphy finally rose to his feet, this time with a knife in his hand. Everyone turned back at him, and Alessia eyed Murphy as he looked at her with an intent, murderous expression upon his features.

He snarled, "You're dead, Kane."

Alessia didn't want to fight—after all, that was the whole reason she'd come out and made a scene. Killing each other would help no one; in fact, homicide would do the exact opposite for them and create a million more problems. But if she were charged at—by Murphy of all people—she would not hesitate to react. The phrase _kill or be killed _crossed her mind.

Wells shook his head, fearless on the outside but very fearful on the inside. Bravely, he stood up for his friend and said, "Your fight's with me, Murphy."

"Fine." He spat out blood this time. "I'll kill you first, _then _her."

"Wells, don't—" Alessia tried, but Wells was already in the position to fight, and Murphy was just about ready to pounce. Then, right when Murphy stumbled towards Wells, Bellamy suddenly called out to them.

"Wait!"

The two did not move, but Murphy looked at his leader with eyes that were obviously not pleased. Bellamy held up a hand, telling Murphy to halt, and Alessia hoped—for all of their sakes—that Bellamy would do the right thing and call it off. Instead, he looked at Wells and extended a knife.

"Fair fight." Bellamy dropped the knife to the ground just before Wells's feet and walked back over to the side. A rejoiced look crossed Murphy's features, but Alessia was furious. She knew there was a fifty/fifty chance that Bellamy would be the bigger person, but she was a fool to think he'd actually deliver.

"No!" she shouted, putting another halt to the fight. But Murphy was getting impatient, and she knew unless Bellamy called it off, there'd be no more delaying. Her eyes honed in on Bellamy and she exhaled. "Look…trust me. I hate the law just as much as the next guy, but there needs to be an order of some kind. We can't just go around…picking each other off!"

Observing Bellamy's impending silence, Alessia took a firm step forward towards Wells. Just as she did, Bellamy blocked her way.

"If you don't want to get killed next, I suggest you stay out of it, Kane," he warned, gripping her arm tightly to prevent her from going any further. Alessia squared her jaw and, the next thing he knew, she snatched her arm back so fast that he actually grasped at empty air for a moment.

"First of all, Blake"—she snarled the name tersely—"I suggest that you stop getting in my way. Secondly, I suggest you start opening your eyes to what's around you. Can you really not see what this is doing to us? How quickly it'll destroy us if we immerse ourselves in _anarchy_?" Alessia whispered the last part of her speech, hissing it as if it were a cursed word. Bellamy showed a blank expression, but she hoped for their sakes her words were penetrating his thick skull. "All you have to do is _stop this_."

She looked at him with a plea, almost, but it wasn't quite that. She was far from one to beg—people did what they wanted when they wanted and she couldn't help that. But he _had _to see the error in his ways; Bellamy _had _to comprehend that "whatever the hell we want" was a mantra that _could_ _not_ work.

Bellamy tried, half-heartedly, to understand where she was coming from. He just chose not to care.

The final command finally came: "Fight."

Murphy swung at his target with the knife, earning Wells to arch away in fear of getting slashed with the blade. Alessia fought to try and break up the fight again, but Bellamy succeeded this time at keeping her out of it. Three prisoners came behind her and restrained her arms and body so that she couldn't make any sudden movements. Despite how lean she was, she'd grown resilient as a result of living in a soldier's household. Marcus Kane would rather die than have a daughter that couldn't fend for herself. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to break off from the three that were holding her; some manpower was too powerful to overcome. Alessia was only left to watch as Murphy swung and cut Wells on the arm with a slice, causing Wells to hiss.

"This is for my father!" Murphy yelled before lunging forward to end the fight once and for all. Instead, Wells blocked his attempt on his life and managed somehow to force Murphy around with his blade behind his back while Wells held his own knife up to his opponent's throat.

"Drop it!" he growled.

"Wells!" The attention of the 100 shifted to the forest, where they watched Clarke and Finn rush out of the forest first, moving to where Wells was. "Let him _go_!"

Obeying, Wells dropped Murphy to the ground, and at the advantage, Murphy began to move towards Wells again. Instead, Bellamy blocked Murphy, holding him still by the shoulders.

"Enough, Murphy!" Bellamy ordered. Alessia fought the strong hands of the other prisoners, but she couldn't quite get the angle she needed to preform a move that could free her. She was pretty much helpless until Finn looked over and saw her restrained.

"Hey! You three. Let go of her." Finn gestured for them to release Alessia, and reluctantly, the other teenagers did so. Alessia fought back for her hands and moved away from the three as fast as she could, worried about being restrained again. These people would blame her for all the horrid, impulsive things her father did and there was no doubt about that. He executed twice as many as Jaha did, probably even some of the parents of the kids she slept near.

"Octavia!" Bellamy shouted once he saw his sister surface from the woods, limping, with the aid of Monty and Margot on her sides. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," his sister puffed.

"Where's the food?" Bellamy asked Clarke, who turned to him with distress in her eyes. Instead of Clarke replying, it was Finn.

"We didn't make it to Mount Weather."

"What the hell happened out there?"

Clarke's breath shook. She announced, "We were attacked."

"Attacked?" Wells repeated. "By what?"

Finn responded again. "Not what; who. It turns out, when the last man from the ground died on the Ark, he wasn't the last Grounder."

"It's true," Clarke concurred. "Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong. There are people here, survivors. The good news is, that means _we _can survive. Radiation won't kill us."

Finn finished her incomplete thought. "Yeah. The bad news is, Grounders will."

"Where's the kid with the goggles?" Wells asked, earning Clarke's distressed look.

"Jasper was hit. They took him." Clarke told Wells, glancing at him for merely for a moment, but she caught sight of something peculiar. Immediately, she grabbed her ex-friend's arm and lifted up his sleeve to reveal a bare wrist. She gasped. "Where's your wristband?"

"It's not his fault, Clarke," Alessia stepped in just as Wells pulled his arm back in shame. Clarke looked up at her and Alessia turned towards Bellamy with a pointed glare. "They've all been taking them off. Wells was unwilling."

Suddenly, Clarke's expression turned from distraught to furious. She asked through her teeth, "How many?"

"Twenty-four and counting," replied Murphy, almost proudly. Clarke stared at him incredulously, and Alessia could almost anticipate the next words out of her mouth.

"You _idiots_," Clarke whispered. "Life support on the Ark is failing! That's why they brought us down here. They need to know the ground is survivable again and we need their help against whoever is out there. If you take off your wristbands, you're not just killing them; you're killing us!"

Bellamy, however, had a different opinion. "We're stronger than you think. Don't listen to her. She's one of the privileged! If they come down, she'll have it good. How many of you can say the same? We can take care of ourselves! That wristband on your arm, it makes you a prisoner. We are _not _prisoners, anymore!"

"You were never even a prisoner to begin with!" Margot stepped forward, leaving Octavia in Monty's hands as she stared at Bellamy with fury. "You weren't even supposed to beon the drop ship! You have no right to be leading us! And you're doing a suckyjob at it, too, because you're essentially asking us to kill everyone on the Ark for you and fight _alone _against people we don't have a chance against!"

"It's not about me. It's about them." Bellamy turned around to face his subjects. "They say they'll forgive your crimes. I say you're not criminals! You're fighters. Survivors! The Grounders should worry about _us_!_" _

"Yeah!" the crowd clamored enthusiastically, and Clarke could see it was no use. She fled immediately, as tired of Bellamy's moronic lecture as the rest of those who opposed him. As the rest of the teenagers still hooted and hollered for their mighty leader, Alessia suddenly felt a presence beside her.

"You had to deal with _that _for the past twelve hours?" She turned to the side to see Margot place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Wow, Alessia, that must've—"

"Don't touch me." Alessia jerked her arm back. Margot held her hands up defensively.

"Okay! Okay. Relax." She sighed. "Wow. Didn't know you were so touchy."

"Yeah, well…like you said." Alessia looked at the smug, satisfied Bellamy before them with a scowl. "I had to deal with _that _for the past twelve hours."

* * *

Clarke hastily gathered an abundance of belts in her sack to bring on the trip to find Jasper. Alessia watched as Clarke did this, sort of confused at the point of bringing the belts.

Disbelieving of the purpose of the belts, she questioned, "So…what exactly do you plan to do with all the belts, Clarke?"

"You never know when it might come in handy." Clarke looked up at Alessia and sighed. "So what exactly happened? With Wells's wristband?"

Alessia frowned and a sarcastic, peeved tone escaped through her lips. "Our esteemed leader took him in the middle of the night. I couldn't sleep, so I heard him do it and I figured…well, obviously, it couldn't be good. Bellamy held Wells at gunpoint and tried to convince him to take it off himself, but he refused, so Murphy and Mbege took it off for him. I tried to help, but Bellamy held me back."

"Bellamy has a gun?" Clarke asked, stunned. Alessia nodded, earning Clarke to exhale frustratedly and continue hastily packing her belts. "How'd you manage to keep your wristband?"

"I threatened to kill him." Clarke shoved the map into her bag and put the sack strap over her shoulder. Then, she looked at Alessia with sad, glistening eyes. Alessia understood completely—being on the ground was definitely a lot to take in. Mixed in all the tension Bellamy was creating with the rest of the prisoners, they were all doomed to fail. The teenager bent down next to her old friend. "It won't come to it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't. I'm not," Alessia confessed. "But right now we have to be focused on finding a way to talk to the Ark."

Unlike Alessia, Clarke had someone she actually cared whether or not lived or died. Clarke had her mother, Abby Griffin, the Ark's best doctor. Abby and Marcus often butted heads with each other about a lot of things on the Council, but that was because Abby was more considerate and compassionate than Kane. Anyone was more compassionate than Kane.

Clarke sighed. "First, we have to get Jasper back. Are you coming?"

"You bet your ass I am." Before they could get any further in a conversation, the hatch to the floor opened and Wells climbed out of it.

"There you are," he commented as he gave a slight, disheartened chuckle. "When my father said they didn't leave us anything, he really meant it."

While Alessia went over to pack a sack of her own full of seatbelts from the drop ship, Clarke noticed something on Wells's arm. Immediately striking concern, she reached out and examined the small slice wound that was prominent from the outer layer of his sweater. Wells sighed.

"It's just a scratch," he assured her while pulling his arm back. She grimaced.

"You're making friends fast. Keep it covered. It could get infected." She noticed the sling around his back and knotted her eyebrows. "Nice pack."

"Yeah, seat belts and, uh, insulation. I also packed part of the parachute, figured we could use it to carry out Jasper—"

Before Wells could finish, Clarke sighed. "Good. Give it to Alessia. You're not coming with us." She climbed over to the ladder and started to climb down it.

"My ankle's fine," Wells promised. Alessia, confused, hesitantly grabbed the sack she was packing and followed pursuit of Wells and Clarke, who were inevitably still immersing in conflict.

"It's not your ankle, Wells, it's you."

"You came back for reinforcements. I'm gonna help."

"Clarke, he's right. We need him. So far, no one else has volunteered," Monty spoke up after Clarke, Wells, and Alessia were all on the bottom level of the drop ship, ready to leave again.

"I'm sorry, Monty, but you're not going, either," Clarke apologized, albeit somewhat tiredly. Monty was immediately enraged, stepping forward to face her.

"Like hell I'm not! Jasper's my best friend!"

"You're too important," she rationalized. "You were raised on Farm Station and recruited by engineering."

"So?"

"So? Food and communication! What's up here"—Clarke stepped forward and tapped Monty's temple—"it's gonna save us all. You figure out how to talk to the Ark and I'll bring Jasper back." Determined, the blonde turned around just as Finn came into the drop ship, earning her attention. She sighed. "Hey. You ready?"

"I'm not going anywhere." He scoffed. "And neither should any of you! That spear was thrown with pinpoint accuracy from three hundred feet!"

"So what, we let Jasper die?" Monty argued.

"_That's _not gonna happen," Clarke promised him pointedly, turning around with serious eyes. When she turned around at Finn, her expression turned to disappointed. "Spacewalker? What a joke. You think you're such an adventurer. You're really just a coward."

"It's not an adventure, Clarke," Finn retorted. "It's a suicide mission."

Clarke shook her head wordlessly and turned around at Alessia, who'd managed to remain quiet. "Alessia, let's go."

Unwilling to piss off Clarke more than everyone else had, Alessia followed the pushy teenager and stepped out of the drop ship into the morning light. Once outside, Margot joined them as she fit a crafty water bottle-like invention into her pack for water supply. They all had managed to make the small inventions using a plastic bag and a few other resources they had, and it was amazingly inventive.

"Is this everyone?" Margot asked, slightly worried about the numbers they had. Wells stepped out of the drop ship, too, and moved up behind Clarke and Alessia, determined to go with them. Clarke glowered.

"I thought I told you that you couldn't come," she reprimanded Wells.

"We can use all the help we can get, Clarke," Alessia reminded her. It was one of the primary reasons why she wasn't objecting to Margot joining them, as if she even had a choice in the matter.

Clarke looked off absently at the rest of the camp and, without wasting a breath, she nodded. "You're right, Alessia. We do need all the help we can get."

Alessia held herself proudly, smiling as Clarke walked off without them, heading towards an exit to the woods. "Look at that. I can finally do something right."

But, then, just as Alessia was giving herself a metaphorical pat on the back for getting through the stubborn mind of Clarke Griffin's, that satisfaction came crashing down as Clarke approached a concerned Bellamy caring for his injured sister who was, under no circumstances, going anywhere with them. This meant that Clarke was going to see the siblings for one reason and one reason only, and it was enough to make Alessia reconsider going along on the search.

"You could've been killed," Bellamy chastised Octavia.

"She would've been if Jasper didn't jump in to pull her out," Clarke agreed.

"You guys leaving?" Octavia started, tying the bandage around her thigh tighter so she could get up and move. "I'm coming, too."

"No, no. No way. Not again." Bellamy stopped her—for once, actually doing something right. Alessia, Margot, and Wells just watched as Clarke intervened.

"He's right. Your leg's just gonna slow us down."

"Don't do it, Clarke…" Margot hissed under her breath, only audible to Alessia beside her. On the inside, Alessia was seconding the statement. "Don't do it…"

"I'm here for you," the blonde said at last, doing exactly what was predicted. Margot let out a frustrated sigh, and Alessia just crossed her arms. With any luck, Bellamy would laugh in her face and tell her to move on with it. Clarke couldn't do much about that, now, could she?

"Clarke, what are you doing?" Wells was the only one who hadn't deduced that Clarke was about to make a _terrible _mistake.

"I hear you have a gun." Bellamy showed Clarke his gun to let her know that this statement was true. She smiled. "Good. Follow me."

"Or don't," Margot suggested.

"And why would I do that?" Bellamy asked Clarke as she began to walk away, having the right idea about not trusting her intentions. However, Clarke spun around on her heel and made an offer that he couldn't refuse.

"Because you want _them _to follow you. And right now, they're thinking only one of us is scared," she whispered to him, spiking immediate interest in Bellamy's personal agenda. When Bellamy said nothing, Clarke took it as an accepted invitation to join her, and she split off immediately with Wells right at her tail. With a small glance at each other, Margot and Alessia walked forward to follow them as well, all the while noticing as Bellamy waited for at least one of them—most likely Alessia—to back out of the trip because of his last-minute signup.

Nevertheless, Alessia and Margot both followed Wells and Clarke into the woods and caught the conversation as Wells began to panic.

"Those guys aren't just bullies, Clarke. They're dangerous criminals," he warned.

"I'm counting on it," she replied. Alessia sighed.

"This is probably _the _worst idea you have ever possibly had, Clarke," she mumbled underneath her breath, but didn't slow to Clarke's abrupt pace. Behind them, Murphy and Bellamy kept their trail but lagged a pace or two behind for their own privacy.

Murphy whispered to his leader, "Since when are we in the rescuing business, huh?"

"The Ark thinks the Prince is dead," Bellamy began. "Thinking the Princess is, too…it would definitely delay them from trying to get down here." He snuck a glance at Murphy with a small smile. "But Robin Hood? She's our golden ticket to freedom."

Murphy scoffed. "Believe me, I'm in."

Bellamy walked a brisk pace and didn't respond to Murphy's interjection. "I'm getting that wristband," he promised, "even if I have to cut off her hand to do it."

It wasn't long until the fight broke out between the two opposing groups—in fact, it wasn't more than a few hundred yards from the camp in which this argument seemed to escalate. As Bellamy and Murphy struggled to keep up with Clarke and the three following her, he called out, "Hey, hold up! What's the rush? You don't survive a spear through the heart."

He said all of this while waving the gun in his hand, causing uneasiness upon everyone, most importantly Wells.

"Put the gun away, Bellamy!" Wells demanded, moving forward with Clarke. Before he could get even a step past Bellamy and Murphy, the opponent that Wells was fighting earlier seemed to gain the upper hand and grasped him by the collar of his jacket.

"Well, why don't you do something about it, huh?" Murphy provoked.

The six came to a stop in the middle of a relatively clear section of the forest. Clarke's tone expressed disinterest in Bellamy's inquiry. "Jasper screamed when they moved him. If the spear struck his heart, he'd have died instantly. It doesn't mean we have time to waste."

"She's the one who wanted you to come." Clarke began to walk away as Alessia said the words to Bellamy. "Go back if you want. Trust me, we won't be offended."

She moved to leave with absolutely no desire to stay behind and listen to Bellamy make excuses, but she was taken completely off guard when a cold, firm hand clamped down on her wrist over her wristband and she was forced back to face Bellamy, who was keeping her for obvious incentive.

"As soon as you take this wristband off, Kane, we can go," he promised. Alessia, now officially pissed off that Bellamy—once again—has tried to intimidate her into conforming to him, shoved him off of her with all her strength and took a daring step forward.

"I guess I must not have been clear before," she growled in his face. "How about I spell it out for you? Try and come after the wristband again and I _will _kill you. Don't doubt for a second that I haven't thought about doing it regardless."

"I'd love to see you try," Bellamy retorted, immediately earning an intervention from Clarke, who had stopped her impending mission to deal with the immaturity and deceitfulness of Bellamy's true intentions.

"Leave her alone, Bellamy. She's not giving up the wristband." Clarke's voice was stern and hard, proving her stubborn as hell attitude to get Bellamy to respect her. Bellamy's eyes shifted ever so slightly to chuckle at Clarke.

"Brave Princess," he commented snidely.

"Hey!" All heads turned to see Finn as he walked out from the trees, sauntering over to them. "Why don't you find your own nickname?" Alessia and Bellamy stepped away from each other while Finn looked at Clarke with disbelief. "You call this a rescue party? We've got to split up, cover more ground. Clarke, come with me."

With only a slight hesitation that was overturned, Clarke headed off with Finn in another direction. Bellamy and Alessia stood head-to-head while Murphy and Wells did the same, but with an irritated sigh, Margot started to push Alessia so they could be another split team.

"Come on, Alessia. He's not worth your breath."

Realizing that Margot was right, Alessia wasted only one ill thought against Bellamy Blake before deciding to turn around and not pay attention to him at all.

* * *

"I've never been good at knives," Margot rambled as the two teenagers walked a few paces in front of Bellamy, Murphy, and Wells. Clarke and Finn were treading through a little ways away from them trying to follow whatever leads they could find. They were, by far, the most persistent in the search party.

"Yeah, knives are always tricky," Alessia replied, surprisingly having a conversation with the girl whom she had mixed feelings towards. On one hand, Margot Roberts, the daughter of Killian and Renée Roberts (she had told Alessia about her background a short while ago), could go on for hours about pointless things and really talk Alessia's ear off. On the other, she was actually quite entertaining and amusing. It was starting to grow to the point where Alessia began to engage in conversation, something she rarely did with those who were not her closest friends. "Guns are my strong suit. My father used to teach me how to use them all the time."

Margot chuckled. "I bet. He's Marcus Kane." She glanced over at the young Kane. "You know, you kind of look a lot like him."

Alessia nodded without making eye contact with Margot. "Yeah. Everyone says that. And I've seen pictures of my mom. It's a shame I look more like him than her. She was beautiful."

She snorted. "Well, Marcus is no peasant, either, if you know what I mean." Alessia shot a disgusted, confused look at the other delinquent beside her.

"No. I don't know what you mean."

"Well, Alessia, I've seen him around before. He may be a dick but he's pretty ho—"

Alessia interrupted her immediately upon realizing that Margot was about to say something about her father that she did not want to hear under any circumstances—not on the Ark, not on Earth, not _ever. _

"Don't you _dare _finish that sentence," Alessia snapped. Margot cut herself off in compliance seeing the other teenager's wide eyes. "_So _not cool."

Margot shrugged. "Sorry. I don't have a filter."

"I've noticed."

"So what's the deal with the whole 'Robin Hood' thing?" the intrigued girl asked, attempting to start another conversation with her rambunctious mouth. "I mean…I get it, you stole food rations and gave them to the people who needed more, right?"

Alessia nodded in agreement. "Yep. You'd be surprised how many flaws there are in the system. The Ark doesn't take into account a person's metabolism. People starve sometimes."

"How'd you know which people to give the rations to?" It seemed like a dumb question, but it was actually quite valid. There weren't many visible beggars on the Ark—mostly all of them were passive aggressive and just kept quiet. The children, however, were the only ones who complained openly. Even then, people would shush them and pay no mind.

"My boyfriend, Calix, was in training to be a guard," Alessia answered as she brushed a few leaves out of her face and ducked under a tree branch. "My dad practically considered Calix his protégé. But Calix always saw people get shafted during the ration times. The guards never pay attention to it unless it gets out of hand, but he always thought it was wrong. One day he came to me and we came up with a plan to help those people."

For once, Margot had stayed quiet for the entire duration of a story she was being told. At the pause, she asked, "Well…what happened to Calix? Is he here?"

Again, Alessia did not make eye contact. "No. He was two years older than me—which made him over 18 at the time. My father floated him for his crime."

She did not shed a tear, nor did she show any sign of the despair that Margot deduced was somewhere inside of her. Alessia, however, kept her back straight and her head held high, which was strange and usual, but understandable. The simple statement of the whole story was: her father killed her boyfriend.

"That's…" Margot trailed off, "…_terrible_! Horrible! What kind of father would do that to his own daughter? He sounds like a total jackass! I mean, killing your boyfriend? That's so _low_!"

"Just as low as sending me down to Earth for a slow and painful death." Alessia looked at Margot from the side and the two finally made eye contact.

"Earth isn't harmful," Margot pointed out.

"Yeah. But I know he believed it was. Hell, I believed it was, too. I thought I was going to die."

She looked down at the locked wristband that seemed to loom over her head as an incentive for her murder. Alessia knew Bellamy would come after the wristband sooner or later and she had no real intent of killing him. She wasn't a monster. However, if he did dare try to harm her in any way, she would be left with no option.

It seemed like the perfect revenge plan, however, to enact on her father. If she took the wristband off, he would think she was dead and he would be forced to live with that guilt for the rest of his life. But this was Alessia's existential crisis that she would never admit aloud or even to herself—she wanted so desperately for her father to see that she could handle herself. She wanted to make him proud, no matter how many times he proved that he would just keep attacking her for her flaws and would never give her the benefit of the doubt.

"We still might," Alessia sighed, glancing back to see the shapes of Bellamy, Wells, and Murphy spread out and not talking to each other. Clarke and Finn were off somewhere else, nowhere to be seen at the moment. "Bellamy and his sidekicks will have us all murdering each other within a week."

"That's being a little dramatic," Margot chastised. "I'd give it at least a month."

The teenagers stared at each other, Margot with a small smile at her clever joke and Alessia with just a disbelieving expression before she scoffed and laughed, unable to resist. It seemed—though it was nearly impossible—like the two were actually (slowly) becoming friends despite their vastly different personalities that bothered both ways.

But the time to tell stories and backgrounds was short-lived, as Clarke and Finn called everyone together when they found a blood trail. Soon, the party followed Finn on blind trust as he went on instinct.

"Hey, how do we know this is the right way?" someone finally asked, and it turned out to be Murphy, of all people. Instead of an intelligent answer, what he received was Bellamy and his quip.

"We don't. Spacewalker thinks he's a tracker."

"It's called 'cutting sign'. Fourth-year Earth skills. He's good," said Wells.

"You want to keep it down or should I paint a target on your backs?" Finn bit at them as he kept his focus, slowly inching around as he looked for clues that they were, in fact, heading on the right path. He noticed a cut branch on a shrub, and when his eyes moved to the ground, he saw it—drops of blood on stones beneath. Clarke and Finn both bent down to examine the evidence.

"See?" Bellamy whispered to Wells quietly. "You're invisible."

Margot scoffed, hearing the comment since she was standing right beside Wells. "Invisible? He's not a ghost, Bellamy." Suddenly, there was a loud, distinct moan in the distance; it resembled the sound of a wail, really. Margot gulped down thickly. "But…maybe that is one."

"What the hell was that?" Murphy asked aloud.

Clarke glanced behind at Bellamy. "Now would be a good time to take out that gun."

They moved through the forest, crouching as the party of teenagers fought their way through leafy green shrubs to a clearing. Finn stopped first upon seeing the unusually cruel setting, and once he stopped, everyone stopped to take it in.

"Jasper," Clarke whispered while the rest observed him hanging on the limb of a tree, tied up and covered in his own blood. "Oh, my God! Jasper!"

Everyone began to rush forward towards the tree, and Bellamy followed quickly behind Alessia, keeping in her footsteps as they approached Jasper.

"What the hell is this?" Bellamy murmured. Alessia shook her head.

"I have no idea—"

The moment she finished the last letter of her sentence; that's when it happened. The ground seemed to cave beneath her feet and her body dropped, as did the soil, leaving her with a panicked floating sensation. It was a disguised hole in the ground used to catch something or someone and leave them for dead with no way out once they hit the bottom, but luckily for Robin Hood, she had a very unlikely ally that kept her living.

Alessia would be lying if she didn't say that she expected Bellamy to drop her to the ground so that her wristband would go out and he would have won without her putting up much of a fight. But for some reason—a reason that she didn't quite understand even though her wristband was right for the taking—Bellamy's fingers were clasped tightly around her wrist and he didn't let go. Instead, he fought equally as hard to pull her back up as she did trying to climb out. With the aid of Wells and Margot behind Bellamy, Alessia's body was finally up on the ground safely.

Her breathing was quickened, as was Bellamy's from supporting her body weight. The two were on the ground, lying while everyone else had been squatting to help pull her back up. Alessia sighed.

"Life's just full of surprises," she mumbled.

Bellamy frowned. "You could at least say 'thank you'."

Without saying anything, she dusted herself off and, with unnecessary help from Finn and Clarke, brought herself to her feet. Bellamy got himself up on his own, despite the help that Murphy offered.

Though her panting made it sound like sarcasm, the word was still genuine. She gave Bellamy a nod. "Thanks."

He didn't respond, and there was no more talk of the trap door. Clarke looked up at Jasper and sighed. "We need to get him down," she pushed.

"I'll climb up there and cut the vines," Finn suggested.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm with you," Wells began to move with him, but Finn turned around sharply and shook his head.

"No. Stay with Clarke and Alessia." Finn's eyes drifted to the sudden heroic leader. "And watch him. You two, let's go." Margot and Murphy, given the order, walked around the trap door to help Finn cut Jasper down from his altar.

Alessia squinted at the bloodied, half-unconscious teenager spawned in front of them. There was a large green blob in the middle of his chest where it seemed the blood had come from.

"What is that?" she asked, mainly to Clarke. Clarke surveyed it as well and she came up with an answer.

"It's a poultice."

"Medicine?" Wells simplified. "Why would they save his life just to string him up as live bait?"

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing," Bellamy suggested, earning a response promptly from Finn that didn't seem so far-stretched when thought over.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us."

* * *

"Data indicates that the violent criminals in the group are eight times more likely to have terminated signals," Abby presented her case to the rest of the Council members as they sat around the round table in the darkened, secluded room waiting for the ultimate decision to be made for the future of the Ark. "We believe that this means that the kids are taking off their wristbands by choice."

"So how do you explain Wells?" Kane challenged.

"Kane is right," Jaha agreed. "My son would…never take his wristband off voluntarily."

Abby looked at him without an evidential answer but rather a circumstantial, more likely option. Instead of focusing on Jaha, she looked at Kane as well and said openly, "All our children have done things we never could have expected."

Kane shook his head. "If the children were taking their wristbands off, I have no doubt my daughter would be the first one to try it. Alessia acts out; that, I know for a _fact_."

"Have you ever considered the idea that she wants you to know that she's alive? As I said, Marcus, our kids have done things we never could have expected." With no response from Kane, Abby scowled and continued on, "The point holds. These children need more time."

"We don't have time! Engineering needs six months to fix life support and we'll be out of oxygen in four." A silence washed over the members and Kane scoffed. "Nobody wants to do this, but the inescapable fact is that for every day we delay, ten more people will need to be sacrificed. So today it's 209, tomorrow it's 219. The day after that is 229. _We're _the ones who need more time! I move that we vote now."

"I second that," said another member.

"Very well. The matter before us requires a 4-vote majority to pass." Another member spoke now, explaining it to all the council members to make them aware of the stakes. "A vote in favor is to vote to cull 209 citizens of the Ark from the supply grid in order to extend life support for those who remain by six months." The chairman looked around. "All those in favor?"

"Aye," chorused three of the members.

"All those opposed?"

"Nay," the other three chorused.

The senior councilman sighed. "Three votes to three." He looked at Chancellor Jaha. "Chancellor will break the tie."

Thelonious sighed, thinking of his son who he did not know whether or not to be alive or dead. The decision he was supposed to make could potentially make or break the history of the Ark as they knew it.

"We didn't ask for this," the Chancellor began. "Ours was to be a transitional generation, ensuring that three generations from now, mankind could go home. But everything has changed, and we will either be the generation that sees the human race return to Earth…or, upon whose watch, it finally ends. My son is already down there. I sent him. And the truth is, I don't know if he is alive or dead. But I still have hope."

The senior councilman was now getting impatient. "How does the Chancellor vote?"

"I don't."

"Sir," the chairman gasped, "if you abstain, the vote ends in a tie to be automatically taken up again in ten days."

"That's ten more deaths every day," Kane added.

"I ask again," said the chairman, "how does the Chancellor vote?"

"The Chancellor abstains!" Jaha shouted. Upon this, Marcus angrily slammed his hands down on the table in agitation and stormed out of the room, displeased with the turnout of the meeting. Thelonious turned to Abby.

"You have ten days," he warned her, and then he left.

* * *

Finn, Murphy, and Margot tried desperately and hurriedly to get Jasper down the tree as quickly as possible. Clarke, while feeling helpless on the ground, shouted at them to be careful. Wells, Bellamy, and Alessia all kept an eye out for any suspicious activity that would cause trouble.

And soon, of course, there was some. Except, it was not the definite sound or presence of a human. There was a growl in the distance, earning Murphy to look out into the clearing.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Grounders?" Bellamy replied, but no one had an answer. They all looked around, trying to find the source of the hearty growl, but it was Clarke who spotted it first. A black panther stepped out into a patch of light in the dark area of the forest and began to sprint right towards them.

"Bellamy, gun!" the blonde shouted as the animal barreled towards them. Bellamy reached behind him and patted himself for the gun but found it to be missing. He was about to panic when gunfire sounded and Wells was pointing and aiming the glock right at the wild black cat. The second bullet hit it, but only slowed it down for a moment. The third one came, but Wells moved and looked around for the panther in the shrubbery. Bellamy looked as well, but felt entirely uneasy without the gun in his own hand.

Alessia saw, from deep within the leafy green, the black panther's coat as it recoiled to jump, heading right at Bellamy.

"Bellamy, watch out!" she screamed out as it lunged with a roar, but before it could get anywhere near Bellamy, Wells shot it dead-on. The cat dropped to the ground and died right before their very eyes while the brave Jaha kept firing shots that didn't come out, seeing as there were no more bullets inside the chamber.

Bellamy turned around and observed Clarke watching Wells with intent and almost fear. He breathed out slowly, "_Now _she sees you."

* * *

When they returned to camp, it had gotten pitch-black outside, as usual. There was nothing surprising about the homecoming—Clarke and Finn went straight to the drop ship to clean Jasper up while Bellamy and Murphy raved about the jungle cat and announced it for dinner. The rest of the 100 cheered and hollered, just as they usually had.

But on the Ark, something strange was happening. Abby, Jaha, and even Kane observed alarms started to sound and the signals of the 100 began to rapidly decline, not helping Abby's case about the 100 manually terminating their signals any stronger. Marcus observed the board with the faces of the delinquents plastered upon it with various medical facts and statistics on each card, and he didn't have to look around for long until he saw his daughter's unlawful mugshot.

And, though he could not understand it at all, he felt himself relieved to find that her face was still glowing and her transmission had not been terminated.

But though Abby could not give a legitimate reason as to why all of a sudden so many signals were terminated, the real reason was so simple that it was cruel: food. Finn and Alessia stood outside the drop ship, observing the horrid act of the delinquents giving up their only hope of seeing their families again for a hunk of panther meat.

"He's stable for now, but without medicine…" Clarke told them as she came out of the ship with a sigh. Finn turned his head to listen, but Alessia just watched in disgust at the act before her. Soon enough, Clarke saw it as well. "They're taking off their wristbands for food? No way! I—I won't do it."

"You don't have to," Finn said quietly. And then, bravely, he stepped forward towards the fire and Clarke and Alessia were left to watch as he made a stand. He grabbed a stick with a hunk of meat on it, but obviously Murphy caught him in the act.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait! What, do you think you play by different rules?"

Finn stared blankly. "I thought there were no rules."

Murphy didn't have an answer. Bellamy, though he watched and could not do anything about the rebels that were out of his control, he was forced to make an example out of the next person who dared to touch the rations of food they set out. However, unknownst to him and everyone else, a sly thief managed to get three sticks of meat for herself.

Alessia brought the sticks to Wells and Margot who were sitting around a fire they made themselves. Margot refused to take off her wristband and, seeing the cruelty of the act, Wells decided not to take one for himself and never hear the end of it from Bellamy and Murphy. Luckily for them, Alessia handed her two friends a stick.

Margot and Wells looked up at her in wonder, but didn't say anything. She gave them a slick smile.

"I am Robin Hood, after all." She beamed. "Aren't I?"

And then she sat down on the log they shared, and the three ate their meal in peace.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Review, please!**

* * *

**grapejuice101: **Thanks! Sorry it took me so long to get this one out. But here's the chapter. Hope you liked it!

**Guest: **Wow! Thank you! That means a lot.

**Guest: **Thanks!

**Guest: **It's going...somewhere. I hope. Anyways, thanks for the review!

**mscalliope: **Ah...we're getting there. She's a little insistent on keeping the wristband on right now (mostly to piss Bellamy off) but we'll get there eventually. It'll be tough. Thanks for your review!

**Guest: **Thanks! Sorry for the wait.

**ThatGirl54:** I don't know how it's gonna come together, either. If you ask me, I have no idea what I'm doing half the time. Anyways, thank you for the review!

**acid-veins: **I don't know if that was supposed to be a heart and the less than sign got kicked out or if it was really supposed to be a 3 but...3! Thanks for reading!

**FairyNinjaPrincess: **Here's the update. Sorry for the delay.

**suzii3499: **Look no further, it is here. Again, sorry for the wait on this chapter and I hope it doesn't take me as long to get the next one out.


	3. Earth Kills

**I just want to put this note up here for you guys: you are all freaking amazing. I am really impressed with the turnout of this story and I'm loving that everyone's so invested in it. Thank you for all the reviews, follows, favorites, and views on this story!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. Also, the song in this chapter is called "One Tin Soldier" written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and initially performed by The Original Caste. I cut the choruses out of the song until the end. **

* * *

**Earth Kills**

_One Year Ago…_

_It was strange how so much rioting could occur over one silly sports game that was filmed nearly a hundred years ago. Alessia never understood it, but for a reason she couldn't quite explain, she liked watching as Jake Griffin and Chancellor Jaha cheered or booed at the television even though it was irrelevant. Jake gave Clarke a high-five in anticipation for victory as Wells sat down beside her in the space separating Clarke and Alessia on the couch. _

_"Prepare for crushing defeat," Clarke warned. _

_"It's not over yet," Wells countered. _

_"Actually, it was over 147 years ago..." _

_Chancellor Jaha waved his hand at her dismissively. "A technicality."_

_"Give it up! You're going down," Jake promised. Alessia laughed at them all as she watched the screen as the players shuffled around the field. She was more laughing at the sports-enthusiastic crowd than with them. _

_"This is ridiculous. We should really find another pastime. This is just sad." _

_"Oh, Alessia, lighten up. There's nothing sad about watching sports games. People used to do it all the time," Jaha informed her. Alessia swung her legs off of the couch and leaned on her elbows. _

_"Those people had some serious issues." _

_Before anyone could reply to her, Abby walked through the front door of the Griffin's small home and looked up at the projection of the game. _

_"What'd I miss?" _

_"Your husband and daughter being obnoxious," said Jaha. _

_Abby laughed. "Jake, you better play nice!" _

_"Get down to the field! Fire!" Wells shouted at the screen. Abby came up behind her husband, who was looking up at the projection with a disbelieving look. _

_"Waste of time. Waste of—" Seeing his wife, Jake smiled. "Hey baby." _

_"Hi." She wrapped her arms around him. "So, I ran into Bennett when I was leaving the clinic and he has that systems analysis that you asked for." _

_Jake suddenly fell quiet, but upon his silence, Wells boomed out of triumph. Clarke shook her head at him._

_"This isn't gonna last," she told him. _

_He smiled. "What was that about momentum?" _

_Alessia moved to the edge of her seat and squinted at the projector. "Is there some sort of pattern on the ball? I'm seeing a faint outline of black and white…" _

_They ignored her. "Oh, oh, I feel the momentum!" Wells bragged. _

_As the teenagers watched the game with intent, Jake stood up from his seat and moved towards the door, startling Abby. She raised her eyebrows. "What, you're going now?" _

_"Just for a few minutes," he told her with a kiss. Jaha looked up, concerned. _

_"Everything okay?" _

_"Oh, yeah. You know…this old boat; it's always something." _

* * *

The moaning hadn't stopped for days; and the 100 were getting impatient.

Jasper wailed day in and day out from the pain and while no one could really blame him, everyone wanted it to end. Clarke tended to him on the highest level of the drop ship and kept everyone else out, afraid someone was going to do something that would stop Jasper from being fixed before she ever had a chance to fix him. But Clarke knew that the clock was ticking down slowly, whether or not she had a shot at saving Jasper.

Alessia climbed to the very top level of the drop ship and pulled herself through. She shut the hatch door, dusted herself off, and joined Clarke, Finn, Monty, and Margot up on the third level.

"Are we making any progress?" she asked as she walked over to their somewhat qualified doctor as Clarke examined Jasper's wound. She didn't respond with a simple yes or no answer, but rather noted something aloud.

"The Grounders cauterized the wound. Saved his life."

"Saved his life so they could string him up for live bait," Finn added. "Garden of Eden this ain't."

Clarke ignored his comment. "This is infected. He could be septic."

"Septic…" Margot trailed off and locked eyes with Clarke, who stayed quiet. "Clarke…you need to find a way to fix him. Please."

Clarke nodded. "I'm doing the best that I can." She turned around to Monty. "Any progress on using the wristbands to contact the Ark?" There was no answer. "Monty!"

"That would be a firm no," he answered at last.

The blonde sighed frustratedly. "My mother would know what to do."

At that time, Wells joined them, squatting down beside Clarke. "How's he doing?"

Taking her anger out on the wrong—or, perhaps, _right_—person, Clarke instantly snapped at him, "How does it _look _like he's doing, Wells?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to help."

"Cut him some slack," Alessia said quietly to Clarke, who let out a long exhale. From beneath Clarke's hands, Jasper started to moan once again as he panted heavily. "Besides…right now is not the best time to be arguing. With anyone."

As stubborn and hot-headed as Clarke was, she knew when someone was right. After a long-winded deep sigh, Clarke realized that arguing wouldn't help anyone since she needed to save Jasper as quickly as possible before he went into septic shock. Putting her differences aside, Clarke nodded. "All right. You want to help? Hold him down."

Clarke looked at Wells, who was hesitant but eventually placed his hands on Jasper's legs to prevent Jasper from moving against Clarke's will. Clarke then looked over her other shoulder towards Alessia and gestured to Jasper's shoulders. Alessia nodded and moved around the injured teenager to hold down the upper half of his body that was covered in sticky sweat. As soon as Margot saw Clarke put her knife into the small fire beside her, she slowly rose from her position, unwilling to witness the next act.

Monty breathed slowly, "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Clarke said nothing. Instead, she thought it best to continue without an explanation of what or why she was doing what she thought was best. But the minute the heated blade barely touched Jasper's skin he started to scream on the top of his lungs. His legs kicked and he tried to move, causing Clarke to become uneasy about wielding a blade against a fighting patient.

"Hold him still!" she commanded Finn, Alessia, and Wells as they pushed Jasper down as hard as they could and tried to keep him immobile. "I need to cut away the infected flesh."

But Jasper was fading—slowly, but surely.

Octavia joined them next, rushing into the level of the drop ship with protests immediately. "Stop it! You're killing him!"

"She's trying to save his life," Finn countered.

"She can't." The group looked up to see an unwelcome visitor, Bellamy, as he climbed out of the hatch to face them all.

Alessia frowned and mumbled, "Oh, look at that. He's an optimist, too."

With a hard, cold sigh, Wells rose from his feet and faced Bellamy head-on. "Back off."

"We didn't drag him through miles of woods just to let him die," Clarke told their intruder. Bellamy, however, didn't take to that approach.

"Kid's a goner. If you can't see that, you're deluded. He's making people crazy."

This just pissed Clarke off even more. Essentially, she snapped. "I'm sorry if Jasper's an _inconvenience _to you, but this isn't the Ark! Down here, every life matters."

"Take a look at him," Bellamy urged. "He's a lost cause."

Everyone fell silent as they looked down at Jasper just like Bellamy asked and realized the truth behind the statement. Even Margot, who was standing on the opposite side of the drop ship worried about her friend deeply, could see that there was limited hope. Alessia peered up at Bellamy as she surveyed Jasper's weak, glistening face—but for once, she said nothing.

Clarke lowered her voice to Bellamy's sister by her shoulder. "Octavia, I've spent my whole life watching my mother heal people. If I say there's hope, there's hope."

"This isn't about hope, it's about guts," Bellamy intervened. "You don't have the guts to make the hard choices. I do. He's been like this for three days. If he's not better by tomorrow, I'll kill him myself." He moved towards the exit hatch and stopped to look over at his sister. "Octavia! Let's go."

The brunette did not look up, but rather affirmatively sat by Jasper's side and spoke up to her big brother. "I'm staying here."

Unable to force his sister down the hatch with him, Bellamy left the saviors to their bidding with his threat known not to be empty. Monty looked after their fearless leader with a repulsed look in his eye.

"Power-hungry, self-serving jackass," the kid mumbled. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself." Octavia tried to pretend like she didn't hear the words, but Monty saw her evasion of his comment and added, "No offense."

"Yeah. Bellamy is all that," Finn agreed. He and Clarke shared a look. "But he also happens to be right."

* * *

_"I don't know what to do." _

_Clarke and Alessia walked down the somewhat desolate halls of the Ark together, both of them side by side with their voices at the ultimate whisper. Alessia was stunned at the information Clarke had given her, practically standing with her jaw wide open as they moved slower than the average pace. She was at a loss for words. _

_"A-Are you sure?" Alessia stuttered, shaking her head in refusal. Clarke hung her head. "I mean...I mean, there has to be some way to fix it, right? This can't be it. There's been tons of failures before and they always find a way_—"

_"There is no way, Alessia." Clarke stopped them in the middle of the hall knowing that no one would really suspect them of speaking of anything so important out in public. "My mom said the same thing but...my dad is sure that he can't fix it. This is permanent." _

_Alessia exhaled greatly, finding her flesh becoming exceedingly feverish upon the information that they were all going to run out of oxygen sometime in the near future. She looked around the hallways and shrugged helplessly. _

_"I-I don't know what to do, either, Clarke. But if your father does what you said he wants to do, you know he'll get floated. Your mom was right about that." _

_"But what if he doesn't tell people, Alessia?" Clarke demanded frustratedly. "The people have a right to know. I agree with him." _

_"Agreeing with him will get you _killed_!" Alessia snapped at her friend, only looking out for her best interest. Clarke silenced as Alessia hissed, "Clarke, you've known what my father is capable of for as long as we've been friends. Marcus will—" _

_"My dad is Marcus's __friend," the blonde cut her friend off with a bitter edge to her voice. "He wouldn't betray his friend like that. I know you like to think that your dad is capable of terrible things, but there's got to be a line somewhere." _

_Alessia squared her jaw. "You don't know him like I do." Clarke turned her head, tired of hearing the protests of her so-called friend, and she moved to walk away just as Alessia caught Clarke's arm and prevented her from leaving. With wild, eccentric eyes, Alessia warned, "You can't do this, Clarke. You or your dad. We both know that it will end badly." _

_"Get off of me." The brave teenager snatched her arm back and furiously stomped off in the other direction, leaving Alessia alone in the middle of the hallway to think about what Clarke was about to do and the consequences that would soon follow. But she knew, deep down, that Clarke was right. However, albeit how right she was, Clarke also knew of the dangers Alessia spoke of. All Alessia could do was hope that Clarke was right__—that her father would draw the line between the law and friendship at last. _

_"You two get into an argument over those games you watch over at the Griffins?" Marcus asked his daughter as he approached her side with his hands behind his back and his shoulders squared. Alessia looked over at her father and turned to him as he stared after Clarke. She shook her head. _

_"No. We just have a difference of opinion, that's all. Not an argument," she lied and crossed her arms over her chest. Marcus hummed under his breath and looked back at her. "Do you need something?" _

_Kane scoffed at her. "Am I not allowed to want a moment to talk with my daughter?" _

_"Since when do you want to 'talk', Dad?" she countered, arching an eyebrow. He sighed and shook his head in disappointment at her.  
_

_"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." _

_"I'm fine." They stood, face-to-face, saying nothing. She groaned. "Relax. I'll be home before curfew, just like I always am."_

_Marcus nodded. "Good. I'll see you at home, then." He turned on his heel and walked in the other direction, but first called out behind him, "Mercer. Let's go." _

_And, as Marcus took off in the opposite direction that Clarke had gone, he had Calix Mercer following at his tail. Alessia and Calix shared a stealthy glance, but no concrete words had been exchanged._

* * *

"Blake!" Alessia shouted as she struggled to catch up with the tall, dark, and handsome stowaway as he exited the drop ship and walked towards the woods. Hearing his name, he stopped and turned his head to find her as she rushed up to his side. His eyes rolled, almost involuntarily, at her presence.

"What do you want, Kane?" he nearly barked.

"You're going hunting, right?" she asked, catching up with her breath. Bellamy studied her for a moment, confused, but slowly nodded.

"Right..." He trailed off and crossed his arms. "Why?"

"I'm going with you." The determined female copied his stance and attempted to stare him down, but Bellamy just smiled and started to move again towards his men, his hunting party, who were waiting at the edge of their camp. She followed pursuit. "Hey! First off, I don't trust you. Secondly, I definitely don't trust you hunting down my dinner. Third, and let's be honest here, I'm a much better hunter than the rest of you."

Bellamy scoffed. "Says who?"

She laughed. "I don't know. Does your father happen to be in charge of all law enforcement officers on the Ark?"

He stopped them both a few feet away from the rest of the hunting party, frustrated with her attempts to go with him. Bellamy looked down at the determined female with curiosity and intrigue.

"What's your angle, Robin Hood? You don't like me. I don't like you. Now you're volunteering to come on a day trip with me?"

"How about we call it boredom?" she suggested sourly with a small smirk. "I need something to do and I don't want to be in Clarke's way with Jasper. That a good enough reason for you?"

Bellamy surveyed her, fully intent on sending her away without a second thought. Then, his gaze drifted down towards the band secured tightly on her wrist and, though he knew he wasn't going to be able to force it off of her, he was starting to realize that maybe her suggestion was a step in the right direction at taking down the powerful Marcus Kane's daughter; the one that could really keep everyone on the Ark away for good. He glanced back up at her, fully aware that she caught him staring at her wristband, and smiled. Then, he produced a knife from the waistband of his pants and flashed it in front of her. She tensed, slightly, but then he flipped it around to extend the handle to her.

"Congrats, Kane." She took the knife hesitantly. "Now let's move."

The rest of the teenagers were apprehensive about having Alessia come along with them, especially since they all knew that she was part of the opposing side_—_Clarke's side. But soon, they were roaming the outskirts of their camp with the intent to kill whatever living animal crossed their path so that they could feast later on. Eventually, they came across a wild boar, but Bellamy was the first to jump at the chance.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh," Bellamy hushed the rest of his group. "She's mine."

He pulled back the axe in his hand so that he could thrust it towards the boar, but when he heard a sound behind him_—_the cracking sounds of leaves beneath a person's feet_—_he went on high alert and spun around, throwing the axe in his hand without blinking. As the axe hit a tree and startled the boar in front of them, Alessia noticed the boar get spooked and she acted quickly. She threw her own knife and hit the boar right in the throat so it collapsed to the floor. The rest of the men jumped at the chance to bag the boar, but Alessia turned her head and watched as Bellamy moved towards his axe in the tree and noticed a young girl from their camp following them.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Charlotte."

"I almost killed you."

Alessia stepped forward as Bellamy yanked his axe from the wood of the tree. She looked at the little girl apologetically. "What he meant to say was, he's sorry for throwing an axe at your head." She shot a disgusted, disappointed look at Bellamy and watched as he sighed and looked back at Charlotte.

"Why aren't you back at camp?" he asked.

"Well...what with that guy who was dying, I just_—_I couldn't listen anymore," Charlotte defended herself. Atom, another one of Bellamy's followers, stepped up beside Alessia and shook his head.

"There are Grounders out here. It's too dangerous for a little girl."

"I'm not little," the girl snapped. Alessia sighed.

"Charlotte, he's right. You really need to get back to camp, it's not safe_—_"

"Okay, then." Bellamy cut Alessia off, causing her to look over at him with surprise as he ignored her protests. He smiled at Charlotte. "But you can't hunt without a weapon." Again, he pulled out another knife and extended it to the girl, who took it hesitantly. Atom turned to move back with the rest of the group as Alessia stared at Bellamy incredulously.

"What is it, free knife day?" she hissed.

"It can be." He smiled at her, causing her to scoff at him with a sickened glance. He turned back at the girl. "Ever killed something before?" Charlotte shook her head. "Who knows? Maybe you're good at it."

Alessia and Bellamy both turned to follow the rest of the party with Charlotte trotting right along behind them. She shook her head, absolutely mortified at what he was going to do. "I can't believe you're doing this."

Bellamy shrugged. "You turned out all right, didn't you?" He stared forward as she glanced over at him with narrowed eyes. He caught her cold stare. "Daughter of the man who controls all the law enforcement on the Ark and all that? I bet you had one hell of a charmed life."

"You don't know anything about me," she bit.

Now, he was starting to grow irritated with her pity party, for he didn't care to listen at all while she talked about her hard, poor rich girl lifestyle while he grew up on the Ark with nothing. While he had to work to get to the top, only to fall to the bottom.

He squared his jaw at her and caught her attention again with two single words. "Wanna bet?"

* * *

_She wished, so desperately, that it didn't have to be the way that it was. She wished, so desperately, that Marcus could accept the fact that she was nearly a seventeen-year-old girl who, unlike him, had the capacity to actually care for someone else and that she was smart enough on her own to make the right choices. But alas, Marcus Kane was not the kind of father to let his daughter date at her "young" age. In fact, if it was up to him, she believed that he would just keep her in their quarters for her entire life until she grew old, became ugly, and died. _

_So what she had to do in order to see her boyfriend was necessary. Alessia walked down another part of the Ark later on in the night while her father was at a Council meeting until she came to an old supply closet. She took in a deep breath, looked around, and twisted the doorknob, opened the door, and shut herself inside quick enough so that there was no risk of anyone seeing her. With a sigh of relief, she locked the supply closet door and turned, grateful that the light was already on and Calix was already inside. _

_He smiled at her and got up from his seat sitting down on an old, ratty bucket. "Hi." _

_"Hey." Alessia moved forward onto her toes and he bent down, meeting her lips with a long-awaited kiss that they had both been yearning for since the last time they managed to get in one of their secret hideaways together at the same time. Calix had always been much taller than her with a frame practically built for a guardsman and attractive looks that just managed to add to his list of assets. Finally, she pulled away, already finding that the heat within the closet was too much, especially if they were going to continue. Her breath heat only added to the struggle. "How was my dad today?" _

_"He was fine." Calix moved to sit back down on the bucket and Alessia leaned against the door. "He was...Marcus, as usual." _

_"And how did everything else go?" she asked wearily, worried about his mental health ever since the last time he'd told her what happened when he oversaw the rations trading. It always killed him to sit there and do nothing as young children begged with their eyes for food and were either forced to give it to their parents or, in rare situations, were pleased only by the expense of their mother or father. _

_Calix shook his head. "Baby, I can't take it anymore. One of these days, I'm going to crack." _

_She straightened and moved forward, surprised at his intensity, and kneeled in front of him while putting her hands in his. "You can't. If you do__—" _

_"I know what will happen if I do, Alessia," he snapped at her, unintentionally angry. She didn't take it personally. He said, softer this time, "Do you know what it's like to just sit there and do nothing? I hate it. I didn't become a guard for this. We have to do something about this."_

_Furiously, he got up from his seat on the bucket and started to pace around the small closet. Alessia rose to her feet and watched him, shaking her head. _

_"Not right now. Okay?" He stopped and surveyed her, confused with his girlfriend. She moved forward. "Look, there is something else going on that is going to be capturing my father's undivided attention...very soon." _

_"What is it?" he asked. She stayed silent, causing him to sigh. "You can't tell me? All right, I guess this is just payback for all the times I've said that to you. Fair enough." _

_Alessia moved on. "If we try something during his toughest hour__—" _

_"But it's the perfect plan." Calix interrupted her, reaching forward to place his hands on her shoulders lightly. She opened her mouth to protest, but he barreled on. "No, no, just hear me out. If there's another distraction in the Ark, we can pull this off. It's simple. All we have to do is steal a couple boxes of rations and distribute them. It's a piece of cake." _

_"We're not superheroes, Calix," Alessia warned him with concerned eyes. "All crimes are capital crimes for those over the age of 18, remember? You're 19, Calix. You'll be floated if we get caught." _

_"Then we won't get caught. Okay?" he promised. Alessia wanted to argue with him, but how could she? This was something the two of them had been itching to do ever since learning about the inequality on the Ark...and he had a point. She trusted him, too, and if he said that they wouldn't get caught, she wanted to believe him. Besides, there was a flicker of hope inside of her that was determined to believe that her father had a line somewhere__—and that line, she hoped, was drawn with her. No matter how estranged they were or how controlling he was, she wanted to believe that there was a part of him that would never do anything to hurt her. _

_So, Alessia nodded to her boyfriend, whom she loved very deeply, and he smiled. "Okay."_

* * *

No one knew what the hell it was or where the hell it came from. In the midst of bagging the boar Alessia killed, a yellowish cloud of smoke started to descend upon them, almost spreading across the forest like a moving force. They all knew well enough that this fog was not something natural on Earth, and it was safe enough to assume that it was going to cause a lot harm. So the hunting party ran, fighting the speed of the fog, with Bellamy leading them all.

"Come on!" Bellamy shouted. "There are caves this way!"

Alessia was starting to feel grateful to Wells for getting her to routinely run on one of the Ark's treadmill machines, for it turned out to be useful practice. Charlotte, however, was falling behind, and Bellamy grabbed on to the girl's hand to keep her from falling victim to the fog attack. They hiked up a small hill, the fog just about hitting their backs, and Bellamy guided Charlotte into a secluded cave hidden by an abundance of leaves.

"Bellamy!" Alessia heard Atom call. Bellamy ushered her inside, where she took refuge as well, but as he heard the shout, he stayed at the entrance of the caves as the fog closed in. As the yellow fog clouded around Bellamy, Alessia moved back towards the entrance and pulled on his arm so fast, he stumbled inside past her.

"Are you insane?! Get inside!" Alessia scolded him, coughing from the acidic fog that had managed to creep into just the entrance of the cave. Bellamy coughed, too, and moved further inside with Charlotte so that they could be safer. He moved Charlotte over to a corner of the cave and turned back at Alessia.

"Atom is out there," he told her. Alessia sighed and sat down with her back against the cold, hard rock wall of the cave.

"He's probably fine, Bellamy. I'm sure the rest of the group found him and they all found some place to hide until this thing blows over. There's nothing you can do right now." Bellamy exhaled frustratedly and sat down adjacent to her position, right by Charlotte's feet. Alessia surveyed the exhausted Charlotte and she leaned forward.

"You can rest for a while, Charlotte," she said to the innocent girl. "We don't know how long this will last."

Charlotte nodded silently, obviously fearful of whatever had gone on outside with the mysterious fog. Bellamy relaxed, himself, obviously impatient and restless about his merry little band of followers and the fact that his hunting party had been so rudely interrupted by impending doom. Alessia and Bellamy sat in silence until they heard the sounds of Charlotte's even breathing while the wind still whipped rapidly outside. The young Kane played with the knife in her hand, holding its tip with the pad of her forefinger and spinning the handle to watch it go around and around. Bellamy watched her slowly, but didn't say anything. His eyes inevitably roamed over her wristband and stared for a few extra moments, causing her to sigh softly.

"Don't even think about it, Blake," she whispered low enough not to disturb Charlotte. She brought her eyes to meet with Bellamy's, who shrugged.

"Think about what?"

"You know what. Until I say so, this wristband isn't coming off." He turned his head and refused to answer her, irritated with her stubbornness. Eventually, she brought her knees to her chest and knotted her eyebrows in wonder. "Why do you want me to take it off so badly?"

Bellamy stared back at her tauntingly. "Depends on what I want you to take off."

She scoffed. "Does that line usually work?" He shrugged, giving her an obvious answer. Alessia laughed, finding the situation to be more amusing than offensive. "Wow. And here I thought you just wanted the wristband."

"I know girls like you," Bellamy began accusingly, moving on. She waited for him to clarify his vague statement. "Girls who can't get enough adventure. Girls who just want along for the ride. But at the end of the day, when the real consequences come back to bite you in the ass, all they do is run to daddy to get them out of their mess."

Her amused expression quickly turned upside down. "You think I'm some poor little rich girl looking for an adrenaline rush?"

"Aren't you?"

"Screw _you_!" she hissed at him, desperately wanting to scream but also conscious that there was a child in their midst. "Where do you get the _audacity _to pretend like you know me, Bellamy? You know nothing about who I really am! If you did, you wouldn't be working your ass off to get me to trust you enough to take off this wristband."

Bellamy took a moment, processing her words with her expressions and quickly realized how sincere she was. He leaned forward slowly and whispered cautiously, "So why don't you tell me who you really are?"

She looked at him with sharp eyes that started to soften over the moments that she spent looking at him in the dim, close to dark lighting of the cave. Alessia was straining herself not to dump her entire life story on him because she knew he didn't care, he was just playing her. She was smart enough to know that Bellamy Blake didn't care at all what problems she had back on the Ark. But she was still pissed that he was questioning her personality, degrading her to be the spoiled daughter of a government official that couldn't get enough excitement for one day. So, she spared him the explicit details.

"All I've ever been since I was born was a disappointment," Alessia began through her teeth. "A failure to Kane. He always wanted a son, and I spent most of my childhood desperate to make him happy. I let him teach me how to hunt, how to fight, how to kill." She paused. "And then he arrested me, killed the man I loved, and locked me away until my revision where I'm positive he'd vote to have me executed. He sent me here to die instead."

Bellamy swallowed thickly and carefully waited, watching her as she ended with nothing more to say. What could he say to that, though? Was there a right response? He did the best that he could, knowing that it would be wrong.

"So why do you keep the wristband on?" he asked her, immediately earning her to scoff incredulously at him. Instead of dwelling on her disapproval of him, he continued. "Seems to me like taking it off would be the perfect revenge." He leaned closer and whispered, "Unless, of course, you're still holding out some hope that he actually cares whether or not you live or die."

"What daughter doesn't?" she whispered back bitterly. Bellamy kept quiet and didn't say anything else as she looked down at her own wristband and ran her fingers along the length of it, positively reflecting on his words. Before the conversation could continue, they were interrupted by a screaming Charlotte.

"No!" the girl shouted in her sleep. Bellamy and Alessia turned their heads and the older male reached forward to shake Charlotte out of her dream state.

"Charlotte, wake up!"

It took a moment for Charlotte to realize what had happened, whereupon she said guiltily, "I'm sorry."

Bellamy paused. "Does it happen often?" She sighed and nodded. "What are you scared of?" The girl didn't respond. "You know what, it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what you do about it."

Charlotte looked at him, confounded with his suggestion. "But...I'm asleep."

"Fears are fears. Slay your demons when you're awake, they won't be there to get you when you sleep."

"Yeah, but...how?"

Alessia watched the exchange between Bellamy and Charlotte, cautious to see how he'd go through with his suggestion. "You can't afford to be weak. Down here, weakness is death_—fear_ is death." Charlotte stared at him, not processing what he was trying to tell her. Alessia, however, was clearly aware of what he was trying to teach a little girl. "Let me see that knife I gave you. Now, when you feel afraid, you hold tight to the knife and you say, 'screw you. I'm not afraid'."

Bellamy handed the knife back to Charlotte and watched as she looked down at it. "Screw you. I'm not afraid." Alessia moved forward on her knees, absolutely shocked at what she was witnessing. Bellamy waited as Charlotte retried her mantra, more forceful the second time around. "Screw you. I'm not afraid."

"Slay your demons, kid. Then you'll be able to sleep."

"No." Alessia walked forward and sat down right where Charlotte was lying. She looked at Bellamy with wide, unimpressed eyes, and watched as he sighed and sat back against the wall knowing that she was going to disapprove. "You're sick, Bellamy! You don't tell a kid to say that. I mean..." She looked over at Charlotte and down at the knife at her hand. "Don't you listen to him. Weakness, it's a part of life. Everyone has weaknesses. The trick is to find your own way to deal with it."

Charlotte clutched the knife in her hand and looked up at Alessia, confused again. "But how is that different from what Bellamy said?"

"Because you don't have to hold a knife in your hand to feel powerful, Charlotte. You don't always have to feel powerful." Charlotte stayed quiet and Alessia sighed while giving the girl a smile. "When I was younger, my grandmother used to bring me to the Eden Tree. You've seen the Eden Tree, right?" Charlotte nodded. "Right. And she used to sing me a song over and over again. She sang it so often that, even after my dad told me I couldn't go the Eden Tree anymore, I would always sing it to myself whenever I felt afraid."

"What's the song?" asked the girl.

Alessia grinned. "It's an old song. From the 1960s. It's like...a story. You want to hear it?" Charlotte nodded, and Alessia let out a deep breath to get ready to relay the song. She'd never been fond of singing, especially in front of others, but she had never been told that she sucked at it completely so she assumed it was okay.

So, with her deep breath, she started:

_"Listen children, to a story that was written long ago; 'bout a kingdom on a mountain and the valley folk below. On the mountain was a treasure buried deep beneath the stone; and the valley-people swore they'd have it for their very own. So the people of the valley sent a message up the hill, asking for the buried treasure; tons of gold for which they'd kill. Came an answer from the kingdom, 'With our brothers, we will share all the secrets of our mountain, all the riches buried there.' Now the valley cried with anger, 'Mount your horses, draw your sword!' and they killed the mountain-people so they won their just reward. Now they stood beside the treasure on a mountain, dark and red. Turned the stone and looked beneath it...'Peace on Earth' was all it said. Go ahead and hate your neighbor, g__o ahead and cheat a friend. __Do it in the name of Heaven, y__ou can justify it in the end. __There won't be any trumpets blowing c__ome the judgement day. __On the bloody morning after...o__ne tin soldier rides_ _away."_

With the song, its tune and its words, stuck on repeat over and over in her head, Alessia started to think_—reflect, _almost, on her life back on the Ark. And the question she had to ask herself was the one thing that she didn't quite understand herself. Because, as much as she hated to admit it, Bellamy Blake actually had a point.

For once.

* * *

_There was a rapid knocking on the door of her and her father's quarters, one of the more luxurious and spacious within the Ark. Alessia had been sleeping to catch up on her rest before she and Calix executed their seemingly foolproof plan. Marcus was out somewhere, Alessia realized, probably up to no good training the guards. He was, essentially, a workaholic, but she'd gotten so used to it that it didn't bother her anymore. _

_"Jesus!" Alessia snapped at the person at the door as she swung the door open. It took her a moment to realize who it was, but when she did, she realized that there was something gravely wrong. Clarke was at her door, her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks stained with tears. "Clarke? What's wrong?" _

_"Did you tell him?" Clarke demanded as she started to weep. Alessia was suddenly awake with the upmost concern for her friend. "Did you...did you...?" _

_Clarke trailed off, trying to hold in her cries. Alessia tried to pull Clarke inside, but her friend just slapped her arms away and started to cry some more. Alessia shook her head and answered Clarke's dire question with another question._

_"Clarke, what are you talking about? Told who...what?" _

_"Kane!" Clarke exclaimed. "Did you tell Kane what I told you about my dad?" _

_Alessia widened her eyes. "No! No, of course not, Clarke! Why would you think that?" _

_Clarke could see the sincerity in Alessia's eyes, but that didn't take away from the impending pain her chest from watching her father get taken away. She choked out eventually, through broken words, "T-They took my dad! They're...they're floating him!" _

_Clarke cried harder, wrapping her arms around herself for some sort of comfort. Alessia, heartbroken at the sight, stepped forward to try and comfort Clarke. Clarke allowed her this time, letting Alessia hug her for support during the tough time. But a minute was enough, because Alessia wasn't the type of person to just let bad things happen to the people that she cared about. _

_"Come on." Alessia pulled away from Clarke and pulled the door of her quarters shut, thankful that she had slept in her clothes that she had been in earlier. Clarke sniffed. _

_"Where are we going?" _

_"To save your dad."  
_

* * *

Bellamy stepped out first to survey the damage that the strange fog had done and to make sure that it was safe for them to go out. Alessia and Charlotte waited inside the caves, but he turned back and nodded at them.

"It's all clear," he said. The two stepped out into the light as Bellamy shouted, "Anybody out here? Jones?"

"We're here!" came a call from the right. Bellamy, Alessia, and Charlotte followed the direction of the voice and finally met up with Jones and a few others that had gotten away from the acid fog.

"Lost you in the stew. Where'd you go?" asked the leader.

"Made it to a cave down there. What the hell was that?"

"I don't know. Where's Atom?" Everyone fell silent, having no answer to Bellamy's impending question. Seeing as no one definitively knew where Atom was, they all split up to try and find their friend so that they could all continue their hunting party accordingly. It was a few minutes later, when Charlotte had somehow slipped away from Bellamy's sight, that they heard her screaming.

Bellamy came up right behind Charlotte almost immediately after her second scream, afraid that she was being attacked by a Grounder or worse. Instead, he looked towards what she found and saw Adam lying on the ground with red blotches and bumps all over his skin. Alessia joined Bellamy and Charlotte, immediately noticing the barely alive, practically choking Adam lying on the forest floor painfully awaiting his death.

"Son of a bitch," Bellamy murmured under his breath and rushed forward to his friend's side. "Atom!"

Alessia didn't move forward. She tried to move Charlotte back as far as she could away from the gruesome sight, but she was just as transfixed on it herself, fighting back the bile in her throat. Bellamy had knelt down to Atom's side and witnessed as his follower choked for air and looked up at him with mutated eyes that looked glassy and extremely abnormal. Under his breath, Atom was whispering two words that Bellamy couldn't make out clearly until he truly listened.

Those two words were simple: "Kill me."

Bellamy rose from his feet, stunned and at a loss with what to do. As the rest of the group gathered behind Bellamy and Atom where Alessia and Charlotte were, Charlotte stepped forward towards Bellamy, eyeing the dying man on the ground, and reached into her pocket to grab the knife that Bellamy had given her. She put it in his hand, where he looked down at it without a word. Alessia watched them with an uncertain feeling in her stomach.

"Don't be afraid," Charlotte whispered to Bellamy, trying to be helpful. Bellamy looked up at the rest of the party.

"Go back to camp," he ordered them. Then, he looked down at Charlotte. "Charlotte, you too."

She obliged and backed away, though reluctant. Alessia, however, was one of the people in their hunting group to disobey Bellamy. She stepped forward instead of stepping back and watched as Bellamy knelt back down beside Atom. He realized quickly that Alessia had not left and he sighed without looking back at her.

"I told you to leave."

"I don't follow your orders," she whispered, not in her usual snippy tone as she normally would exert with him. Instead of arguing, he said nothing and she walked around Atom's feet to kneel down on the other side of him. The teenager was struggling, choking out desperate cries to end his life. Bellamy had the knife in his hand with a firm grip, ready to do what his friend was asking, but Alessia saw the hesitation in his eyes. Even as Atom pleaded, he couldn't do it. And, for a moment, Alessia saw the real side of the brave and difficult Bellamy Blake that had so far acted much like her father in the situation they were in. But this side of him was something that she had long hoped to see from her father, but had failed to get. The good side.

And behind him, though Bellamy couldn't see, was Clarke, watching as they were both kneeling beside the desperate Atom. Clarke kept her distance, accompanied by Wells and Finn, but she caught the gaze of Alessia and shook her head. Then, Alessia realized exactly what Clarke was telling her to do.

"Bellamy..." Alessia whispered quietly. He looked up at her and watched as she moved her hand forward, slightly shaking, and grabbed the knife out of his hand. She took a deep breath and thought back to all those years her father had dedicated to educating her on how to kill. He showed her the fastest ways, the slowest ways, the painful ways, and the painless ways. Unconsciously, she started to hum the song she had sang to Charlotte earlier, not realizing that it was on her mind and that she was scared enough to hum it to herself.

And as she killed Atom, quickly and painlessly, she had gone all the way to the last line.

* * *

_Alessia had always been a resourceful girl. Since her father was the head of all security on the Ark, she had her ways of cheating the system. So she was able to get Clarke to the secure location whereupon they floated innocent or guilty men and women for their crimes without a hitch. However, the guards managed to grab her upon their arrival as she made her presence known. Her mother rushed over to her to prevent Clarke from coming closer, determined not to have her child witness the terrible tragedy of her father being executed, but Wells shoved the guards off of Clarke and Chancellor Jaha called them off. Alessia stood beside Wells, her eyes focused on her guilt-ridden father standing right by the execute button. She eyed him carefully as Chancellor Jaha spoke. _

_"Jake, it's time." _

_Jake Griffin hugged his daughter, then his wife, and backed away from them slowly. He looked at Clarke. "I love you, kid." _

_"I love you," Clarke choked out as her father backed away into the sealed chamber. Alessia stepped forward as the doors sealed once Jake was inside and her father locked eyes with her. Alessia shook her head. _

_"Dad," she said quietly. Then, though she tried to be firm, her next words shook. "Don't do this." _

_Marcus swallowed down a thick lump in his throat and looked at the Chancellor, who gave Marcus a single nod to tell him what was needed to be done. And Marcus, though pressed by his daughter to back away from the button and draw that line at last, believed he had no other choice but to press the button that executed his friend. Clarke broke upon seeing her father die by being stripped of air and cast out into the solar system, and everything was quiet except for Clarke's crying. The Chancellor left, unable to witness the daughter of his friend mourn so deeply. Marcus stepped forward to stand by his daughter who was stricken at the actions of her father. _

_"I'm sorry," whispered Marcus to Alessia as he passed her. She shook her head at him, though he did not see, for he left before he could have a chance to see his daughter so blatantly realize that her father, it seemed, would never truly draw a line when it came to the law. _

* * *

Bellamy had just been lying in his tent idly, staring up at the top with his hand over his forehead trying to relax. Octavia had thrown such a scene upon his return with Atom's corpse and Murphy was starting to really piss him off. The only good news in the entire camp was that the moaning had finally stopped; Clarke had managed to heal Jasper at last. Thank God. Bellamy couldn't have taken all that noise on top of his _extremely _bad day.

That's why, when the flap of his tent opened, he wasn't in the best of moods to be bothered. "What?"

Bellamy looked over his feet to see Alessia at the door of his tent. She smiled slightly. "Mind if I join you?"

_Who would've thought? _he said to himself as he shifted so that he was sitting up with his knees to his chest. _I wouldn't mind. Not at all. _

"You need something?" he asked her as she stepped inside and sat down by his feet. Alessia shook her head.

"Nope. I actually came to give something to you." As he watched her with confused eyes, she reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the knife he gave her earlier in the morning just before they set out into the woods. She pointed the tip of the blade at him for a moment, then smiled and flipped it around so that the handle was extended to him. "Go on, take it."

"You can keep it." Bellamy shook his head. "I've got plenty."

"Oh, I think you're gonna want this one." He knotted his eyebrows and she frowned. "I don't have all night, Blake. Just go with me on this one."

Hesitantly, still unsure of what she wanted him to do with the knife or why she was so persistent upon him taking it, he ended up grabbing the handle in his hand and wielding the weapon as she intended for him to. He shrugged. "Okay. Now what?"

Alessia extended her wrist to him so that her wristband was right for the taking. He looked down at it, still confused, and she sighed. "All right. I see I'm gonna have to spell this out for you. I want it off. The wristband, of course."

Bellamy laughed. "This has got to be a test."

She shook her head. "Nope. No test. I'm serious." Bellamy waited for her to tell him why, but she pursed her lips and sighed. "Let's just say...I've realized that I've been putting my hope in the wrong places. It's time to accept that, if I want Kane to change, he's gonna have to do it on his own. You...had a point earlier. I'm tired of holding out hope for a dad that's never going to live up to the expectation."

The tall, dark, handsome leader scowled at her. "If you're looking for someone to change your mind, I'm not him."

She couldn't resist smiling. Alessia's voice dropped to a whisper. "Trust me, I know."

He studied her eyes, trying to search for some hidden truth in them, but found nothing but what she was asking of him. So, without further delay, he reached forward, grabbed her wrist, and tucked the knife beneath the band. Bellamy tried not to make it hurt, but she inevitably hissed to herself as he thrust up the blade to get the band to break. A few drops of blood emerged from the inside of her wrist where the blade was handling pressure, but at last, the band popped off and the glow of the needles that had been in her skin faded away, leaving her with a few needle holes and a small, unimportant battle scar.

When he had the wristband in hand, however, Bellamy didn't feel safe. He had what he wanted, but was it really going to be enough? A large part inside doubted it. Nevertheless, he raised the wristband up in the air and waved it at Alessia with a smile.

"You still threatening to murder me, Robin Hood?" he asked lightly. She smirked.

"Not just yet." She rose from her knees and moved to step out of the tent, but Bellamy whistled to get her attention back.

"You forgot something," he told her with the wristband in hand. She peered into his tent from the outside and shook her head.

"Keep it," Alessia told him. "As a trophy, I'm sure. I trust this won't add to your inflating ego, either..."

He didn't respond to her, but rather laughed as she gave him one last smile and left his tent.

* * *

On the Ark, Abby Griffin watched the transmission board, determined to find some way to prove that the 100 had been voluntarily taking their wristbands off. She worked day in and day out to find that solution to stop Kane from getting his wish to execute hundreds of people from the Ark just to further his selfish gain. But it was as she studied the vital signs of the teenagers that the very object of her irritation and frustration walked through the doors of her station.

"Find anything yet, Abby?" Kane asked as he sauntered inside with his hands clasped behind his back and his shoulders squared. Abby sighed and looked up at him.

"No. Not yet. But I will," she promised. He nodded, assured that she would, and she just gave him a bitter smile and moved out of his way to deal with her own business. Kane glanced up at the transmission board and searched the names of the 100 to find his daughter's. Finally, he found her name and her transmission, thankful to still find it glowing at him. She was still alive, and that was affirmative.

And, then, almost suddenly, with one single sound and a blackened tile, his relief turned into something else.

Abby moved forward. "Whose transmission was that?" she asked as she walked around to the control board to look at the transmissions from the administer's view. As soon as she saw who it was, she stopped cold and looked up at Marcus, who was staring at the screen blankly. Kane watched as his daughter's tile blinked with bold red words like a slap in the face.

**TRANSMISSION TERMINATED**

* * *

It was early in the morning the next day when Wells was accompanied by Charlotte, the youngest girl in their camp, who walked up to him as he watched the sunrise from a tree log. She said shakily, "Hi."

Wells smiled at her. "You couldn't sleep?"

She shook her head and murmured, "I never can. You on watch?"

"Join me," he suggested. Charlotte sat down on the tree log as well beside him, watching as the sky turned a pinkish orange and the sun rose above the horizon.

"I had a nightmare," Charlotte told him. Wells listened; he was always a great listener. "I...I have them every night. But...I think I found a way to make them stop." She peered up at him through watering eyes. "I-I'm sorry!"

And the fearful girl launched forward, using a knife to cut right into Wells' throat where she had seen Alessia stab Atom earlier back in the forest to silence him quickly. Wells dropped to the forest floor, bleeding out and choking from the presence of blood in his airways. Charlotte stood and watched him as he slowly started to die right before her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she memorized the fear inside of her.

"Every night, I see him. Your father. He kills my parents and...and I see his face and...and I wake up and I see yours. And the nightmare never ends. And the only way to make it end was to slay my demons. I had to."

By this time, Wells had stopped choking, stopped coughing, stopped groaning. His heart slowly started to give out as all the blood left his body and, within minutes_—_seconds, really_—_he was dead.

And Charlotte hummed the tune that was on repeat in her head aloud until she reached the very last line.

* * *

**I literally have never liked Charlotte and will always hate her for killing Wells. But Wells needed to die for the next episode so...there you have it. By the way, and this is just a little extra note for the sentimentalist within me, the song used in this chapter, One Tin Soldier by The Original Caste, was a song my dad used to sing to me as a kid growing up and I always found the song interesting and particularly fitting with The 100 because of all the war that happens in the series. Anyways, if you haven't heard the song, I suggest going to look it up on YouTube or something because it's a pretty ironic song if you ask me.**

**Thanks for reading! Review, please!**

* * *

**katiesgotagun: **Yep. Definitely lots of friction in the last chapter and most certainly in this chapter. Thanks for the review!

**suzii3499: **Thank you! Alessia and Bellamy will definitely be having more moments throughout the series...I mean, after all it's a BellamyxOC so there will definitely be development in the future :) To be honest, Robin Hood was kind of a last-minute decision that I had made because I needed her to have a nickname and I didn't want it to be Princess like Clarke, but I'm glad I managed to make the nickname become a part of her characters. Thanks for reviewing!

**Winterfelttumblr: **No problem :)

**FairyNinjaPrincess: **Thanks!

**Guest: **"Guilt" with Marcus is a relative term. Eventually we will see how he reacts to Alessia taking off her wristband, as she has done in this chapter, and it's sort of like he's guilty, but he also has a really annoying way of trying to hide his emotions. However, once he executes those 300 people in The Culling, those emotions just might leak out.

**Guest: **Done! Sorry it took me so long for the update.

**darolinesalvatore: **Thank you.

**acid-veins: **Haha that's what I thought :) Thanks!

**grapejuice101: **Sorry to keep you waiting! Here's the update!

**Guest: **Thanks!

**Tina: **Thank you. I think I was a little biased towards Kane being her father when coming up with the plans for this story because Henry Ian Cusick plays him but honestly I just wanted to get a chance to play with Kane's character because he's the one who has the potential for one of the most developments. Thanks for reviewing!

**MRJ: **These are the times where I realize I probably should've taken French instead of Latin :P I translated the message though and don't feel bad, we all love those kinds of relationships which is precisely why I wrote Alessia and Bellamy that way. Thanks for reviewing!

**tooclosefortety: **Wow that is a really big compliment. Thank you! Happy (belated) holidays to you, too!

**WestOfTheGlass: **Thanks!

**queenmargaerys: **I definitely will. Thanks for reviewing!

**highwayblues1: **Thanks!

**Renee: **I seemed to have caused frustration so my apologies. Here's the update :)

* * *

**PS: I have recently created 3 social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr). I was only going to make one of them but I decided to live a little and manage all three. Links are up on my profile. Check them out! Twitter will be for communicating with you all, Instagram will be for posting pictures relevant to my stories, and Tumblr will be for...pretty much everything else. I'll try to make it eventually worth following :)**


	4. Murphy's Law

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Murphy's Law**

Alessia trudged through the forest early in the morning, distracting herself by gathering as much wood as she could contribute for the wall that the 100 were building around their camp to keep the Grounders out. As she stepped over logs and crunched down on leaves, there was some very distinct mumbling coming through her mouth.

"Dear diary, I am out in the woods right now collecting a bunch of wood for a wall that we're going to build around our camp that will somehow keep experienced and skilled hunters out and give us the upper hand." She paused and stopped in the forest with a sigh. "That sounded even stupider coming out of my mouth than it did in my head." With a frustrated look, she brushed a tree branch out of her face, ducked underneath it, and continued walking. "I mean, if the Grounders can manage to spear Jasper in the heart across a river and kill Wells early in the morning while the prisoners were on watch, I'm pretty sure they can find a way around the wall. I can think of ten ways of how to get through it right now. One of which involves just pushing the gate aside. But that's just my two sense."

"What the hell are you doing?"

Startled by the intrusion, the branches in Alessia's arms fell onto the ground and Alessia let out a scream, only to turn around and find Bellamy staring at her with judging eyes. As soon as she realized who it was, her lips turned into a hard frown.

"Don't you know it's rude to sneak up on someone in the middle of a post-apocalyptic forest?" she hissed. He arched an eyebrow.

"Were you talking to yourself?"

"Of course not." Alessia bent down and started to pick the branches back up into her arms. Bellamy stood over, just watching, and she cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I was writing...verbally."

"Verbal writing?" he asked in disbelief and she stood up with the branches in her arms again. "That's even more confusing."

While Alessia moved in the opposite direction to trudge through the forest some more, Bellamy followed her wanting to hear the story. She sighed. "When I was younger, I was a mess of adolescent hormones. My grandmother gave me a journal and told me to write in it every day so I could get my emotions out on paper. Most of it was about my dad, since half the time, it was him pissing me off or making me feel sad. But when I came down here, I didn't get to bring paper. So I improvised."

"By talking to yourself about your problems?" he summarized. She gave him a look of annoyance.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion."

He shrugged with a smile and moved a branch out of her way so she could duck under it. "I wasn't aware that I was giving it."

It had been a week since Jasper's recovery, and things were starting to get...strange, to say the least. No longer were Bellamy and Alessia butting heads; not that there was much to butt over, anyways, considering that Wells' death motivated everyone to work in peace together to accomplish a common goal. Though Alessia voiced her thoughts earlier about the ineffectiveness of the wall they were building, she didn't object to it. She let them do what they wanted, and she helped, as long as it gave the people something productive to do while Clarke and Monty tried to find a way to contact the Ark.

Alessia rolled her eyes and resisted a smile. "You're always giving it."

She could hear Bellamy's soft laugh. "Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you. And besides, my opinion is equivalent to my personality. If you don't like it, you are welcome to move along with your day. No one's stopping you."

"I think it'd be more interesting to stick around and hear what you have to say." They caught each other's gazes and Bellamy smirked. "Please, continue. It'll be like I'm not even here. I'll act just like a journal. Shut up and listen."

She scoffed. "Well, there's a first." Though she could see him smile, he didn't say anything, and she looked over at him to find him staring without a word. "Oh, come on. You're serious about this?" Again, there was no response, so she let out a large exhale and shrugged, turning her head from him. "Fine. Dear Diary, there's this self-absorbed, power-hungry jackass named Bellamy Blake who thinks he's the Messiah of The 100 and one day, I fear he's going to run our camp into the ground and the Grounders are going to destroy all of us because he couldn't get off his high horse."

When Alessia fell silent and looked at him through her side vision, she could see him flinch just a little. "Ouch."

"You wanted me to pretend like you weren't here."

"I didn't think you'd do such a good job at it. Was that true, Robin Hood?"

The two of them came to a stop right at the front of the camp, as they had made their way back while they were walking. Alessia turned to him so that they faced each other and she arched an eyebrow tauntingly.

"I don't know, Messiah." She smirked. "Was it?"

Bellamy didn't respond, but merely watched the dark-haired teenager as she left his side and walked into the camp, putting her sticks down for the rest of them to use along with the tree trunks they had also acquired. While he went back to running the camp, as expected, Alessia worked with Margot as one of the worker bees on the wall under the command of the ruthless Murphy, though he only bothered them a few times. They ignored him without being rude, but it was all in the eyes. The two teenagers were hardly about to roll over and take it from _Murphy. _

"He's a dick." Margot rolled her eyes as she shuffled around the sticks Alessia brought earlier so that they could bind the tall, sturdy sticks to make for a stronger ground. "He's always been a dick. I've known him my whole life and I've always hated him."

"Always?" Alessia repeated with a slight scoff. "There's got to be at least _one _time when you didn't."

Margot paused to think. "Mm...nope. Always." She resumed working, but didn't stop the conversation. "I mean, it's not like it should be a surprise. If Wells hadn't stopped him, Murphy would've slaughtered you in cold blood that day Clarke, Finn, Octavia, Monty, and I came back from our failed trip to Mount Weather." Alessia nodded to herself in agreement, but Margot looked out of the corner of her eye to see the despaired girl and asked a very sensitive question. "Hey...how are you doing with that, by the way? With Wells?"

Alessia looked up. "I lost a friend. How do you think I'm doing?"

"Well, there could be a number of feelings I could suggest. For some people, it's anger, for others it's—"

"I'm sad." Alessia stopped Margot before she could continue and go on for hours, which she was sure Margot would have no objections to. Alessia tightened her knot around the bundle of sticks she'd been securing for the wall so hard that she thought the tie might break. "I mean, granted, I hadn't seen him in almost a year because of my arrest and I was upset at him for turning Clarke's father in, but...you know, now that apparently Clarke's mother was the one who turned Clarke's father in—"

"Hold on." Margot stopped her, pausing on her work again with a confounded look on her face. "I'm _so _lost right now."

Alessia let out a heavy exhale. "Point is, he was a friend. And...I don't really...I don't really know how to feel about it, I guess. But, then again..." She began another knot on another corner of a bundle of sticks and pulled tightly. It still didn't snap. "I never could verbally express emotions other than anger. Sometimes, not even then. It's better for me to write it down."

The other prisoner scoffed. "If only we knew how to make paper out of trees..."

She chuckled softly. "If only."

"Hey!" they heard all of a sudden, and watched as Murphy walked out over Alessia's shoulder to another of the prisoners, Connor, who had fallen onto his knees from carrying quite the load. "You think the Grounders are just gonna sit around and wait for us to finish the wall? Maybe we should let the little girl do the lifting for you, huh?"

From behind Connor, Alessia could see Charlotte overlooking the conversation with curious eyes. Connor sighed. "I just need some water, okay? Then I'll be fine."

"Murphy, get this guy some water." Bellamy stepped forward behind his second-in-command. He looked forward at Charlotte and caught her attention. "Hey, you got this?" Alessia and Margot watched as Charlotte moved forward to grab the tree trunk, but he stopped her with a smile. "I'm just kidding."

She smiled back at him and Bellamy leaned down to grab the tree trunk, lifting it over his shoulder as if it were a breeze. Alessia watched, unadmittedly impressed. Margot, on the other hand, openly admitted to it.

"Damn!" Margot hissed in an incredulous tone. Taken off guard, Alessia turned back to the other prisoner in confusion and Margot's eyes met hers. "How the hell is someone so evil allowed to be so hot?"

Alessia held back a chuckle. "I wouldn't exactly say Bellamy's evil. Just...extreme."

Before either one of them could continue, there was suddenly a disgusted shout. Turning their heads, Margot and Alessia witnessed, as did most of the other prisoners surrounding them, as Connor stood up from the ground just as Murphy zipped up his pants. The situation was clear after some thought once Connor shoved Murphy back, only to be restrained by the other supporters of Bellamy's team.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Murphy? I'll kill you!" Connor shouted.

Murphy shrugged nonchalantly. "You wanted a water break." He looked to the rest of the prisoners. "Get back to work!"

"Did Murphy just piss on Connor?" Margot whispered in disbelief. Alessia crossed her arms as she surveyed Connor shuddering the urination off of him, trying to maintain a cap on his temper. Murphy, on the other hand, looked smug and authoritative hiding behind the soldiers that helped restrain the other prisoner.

Alessia sighed. "Now, Murphy on the other hand...Murphy _is _evil."

* * *

Abby Griffin rushed down the walkways of the Ark, trying not to seem to eager to her peers, but truthfully, she was in an impossible hurry. Her daughter's wristband disconnected earlier in the morning, and though she was devastated, she knew that there had to be another explanation. She was rushing to see Raven, the mechanic she had enlisted to help her build a pod that could withstand impact into Earth, when she saw Marcus Kane walking towards her way with a suspicious look in his eye.

"Councilor," Kane greeted as they came to pass each other.

"Councilor."

Abby walked right past him, hoping that Kane wouldn't stop her knowing that he would do everything he could to find out what was going on. But, of course, Kane pulled her attention back without much of a choice.

"Are you headed to Mecha Station?"

Abby stopped in the middle of the walkway and turned around, trying to remain calm. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am."

Marcus stepped forward. "You've been down there nine times in the past week. Is there something I should be made aware of?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you tracking me, Kane?"

He hesitated, but eventually smiled sadistically. "I'm tracking everybody, Abby. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." Abby didn't bother batting an eye—though she knew Kane wasn't going to give up so easily. They started to walk towards Mecha station when she added, "But you're gonna have to be inoculated."

Marcus stopped. "Inoculated?"

She turned around with a surprised look. "A mechanic came down with strep last week. She's fine now, but I'm still checking the bacterial levels in the station. We don't want another outbreak." He nodded, and she turned on her heel with an open gesture. "We can stop by sick bay on the way—"

"That's all right. I don't want to slow you down." Abby stopped herself in her tracks and turned around to find Marcus a few paces behind her, just like she'd hoped. "Just...keep me informed."

She didn't buy it, the friendship act. Abby put on a smile and nodded. "Absolutely." As he started to walk away, Abby decided to take a bold move. She moved forward and stopped him from leaving for just a moment. "And Marcus? How are you doing?"

Kane turned back around at her with a shrug. "What do you mean?"

Abby wanted to be surprised, but she was hardly ever when it came to Kane. "I mean with your daughter. If you really believe so strongly that I'm wrong..."

Marcus didn't blink. "I'm fine."

This time, when he turned to walk away, Abby didn't stop him. Part of her was relieved that he let her go like she'd hoped, but another part was really concerned for him. He saw the look in his eyes when his daughter's tile went off the board. But what worried her the most was how he was reacting—in the sense that he hadn't reacted...at all.

* * *

Clarke picked up the end of the knife that Octavia and Jasper had brought into the tent, studying it with intent. Bellamy, Alessia, Octavia, and Jasper all gathered around, trying to ignore the sight of Wells's dead fingers before them as well. Clarke swallowed.

"This knife was made from metal from the drop ship," she whispered softly.

Jasper widened his eyes at the blonde beside him. "What do you mean?"

"Who else knows about this?" Bellamy demanded of his sister, looking over her way. Octavia shook her head.

"No one. We brought it straight here."

"Clarke?" Jasper pushed.

"That knife means that the Grounders weren't the ones who infiltrated our camp and killed Wells, Jasper," Alessia almost snapped, but she stared at the knife with very furious eyes and tried to keep her temper under control. Jasper looked over at her and she drifted her eyes to meet his. "No one had to infiltrate the camp because the killer was already _inside. _One of the prisoners murdered him."

"So there's a murderer in the camp?" he asked. Clarke handed the knife to Alessia, who looked over the knife trying to find some sort of indication as to who was the owner. As she studied the weapon, the rest of them continued.

"There's more than one murderer in this camp," Bellamy stated the obvious to them as he placed his hands on his hips and sighed. "This isn't news. We need to keep it quiet."

Alessia moved for the exit of the tent, mumbling, "Good thing I wasn't born with the gift of silence or else—"

"Stop." Bellamy stepped in front of her, where she rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting _real_ tired of you standing in my way, Messiah."

"Be smart about this," he hissed. "Look at what we've achieved, the wall, the patrols. Like it or not, thinking the Grounders killed Wells is good for us."

A bitter laugh overcame her lips. "Oh? Oh, there's an 'us' now? What happened to that whole 'whatever the hell we want' saying, huh? No rules, no Chancellors? Now you want me to stay in line and do what you say, just like everyone else? Keep them afraid, keep yourself in power? That's it?"

"Yeah. That's it." Bellamy snapped at her. "But it's good for all of _us. _Fear of the Grounders is building that wall. And besides, what are you gonna do? Just walk out there and ask the killer to step forward? You don't even know whose knife that is."

"Well I certainly know how to read." She showed the knife to him, where there were two initials on the inside of the grip. "J.M.? Hmm...I wonder who that could be." Bellamy gave her a look, and Alessia stiffened. "Relax. I'm not going to go out there and cause a scene. But it'd be in your best interest to get out of my way because, one way or another, I'm bringing John Murphy's ass into this tent and he and I are going to have a _serious _talk."

But it wasn't Alessia who stepped out first; no, it was Clarke. The strong-headed blonde teenager moved towards the flap of the tent, mumbling, "Confronting him alone isn't enough. The people have a right to know."

And Clarke rushed out, unable to be stopped by the preoccupied Bellamy, and Alessia realized exactly what Clarke was about to do. She might've been impulsive and ill-tempered, but she was no fool. Causing a riot within the camp would do everyone more harm than good. But they were too late. By the time Alessia, Bellamy, Octavia, and Jasper followed Clarke out of the tent, she had already rushed up to Murphy.

"You son of a bitch!" Clarke shouted over hot tears. Murphy stepped back with an amused laugh.

"Whoa! What's your problem?"

"Recognize this?" She held up the blade in her hand.

"It's my knife. Where'd you find it?"

Murphy reached for it, but she yanked it back and spat, "Where you dropped it after you killed Wells."

Everything fell silent, and even Murphy didn't try to make a joke out of the situation. After a pause, he asked, dumbfounded, "Where I _what_? The Grounders killed Wells, not me."

"I know what you did." Clarke stepped forward. "And you're gonna pay for it."

He scowled. "Really?" Looking over the blonde teenager's shoulder, he found Bellamy standing beside his sister in the crowd. "Bellamy, you're gonna believe this crap?"

"The only person here that's full of crap is you, Murphy." Alessia's favorite saying of all time was: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Granted, it only worked in specific situations, but when she realized that there was no taking what Clarke had just done, she decided to step on the bandwagon. "You threatened to kill him. I _fought _you because of it. You hated Wells, so you killed him."

"Plenty of people hated Wells," Murphy scoffed at her. "His father was the Chancellor that locked us up."

"Yeah, but you're the _only _one who got in a knife fight with him!" Clarke shouted.

"I got in a knife fight with Robin Hood, too." Murphy looked up at Alessia. "And you're still alive."

She smiled sourly. "Only because you know I'd kick your ass."

"Tried to kill Jasper, too," Octavia said loudly, joining in on the accusations with compiling evidence. Confused murmurs ran through the crowd and Murphy could clearly see on his peers' faces that they were starting to switch side. He scoffed.

"Oh, this is ridiculous! I don't have to answer to you—I don't have to answer to anyone!"

With his arms crossed defensively over his chest, Bellamy raised his voice. "Come again?"

Murphy set towards him. "Bellamy, look, I'm telling you man, I didn't do this."

"They found his fingers on the ground with your knife."

"Is this the kind of society that we want?" Clarke asked the rest of the prisoners as she looked around, attempting to make a powerful speech in the midst of the murderer accusation. "You say there should be no rules. Does that mean we can kill each other without...without punishment?"

"I already told you; I didn't kill anyone," Murphy snapped.

"I say we float him!" Connor shouted from behind Clarke, who turned around at the suggestion that had gotten approval from the crowd. She frowned.

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Why not?" Connor propositioned. "He deserves to float. It's justice."

"Revenge isn't justice!"

"It's justice. Float him! Float him! Float him!" The crowd started to cheer along with Connor for the punishment, and Clarke watched with wild eyes at the crowd became completely out of control within a few seconds. Murphy took his first step to leave when he was tripped by one of his peers beside him and he fell to the dirt floor, now caked in mud. Suddenly, there was a herd around the young teenager and everyone started to beat the killer.

"No!" Clarke shouted. "Get off of him!"

But everyone who opposed the murder of Murphy were knocked to the side, out of the way, fighting the crowd as they were determined to get their revenge for a person they didn't even like. It was more about the fact that no one in the camp liked Murphy, regardless of whether or not he was Wells's murderer. It was an excuse to kill him; it was an out. Clarke fought her way in the crowd as they strung Murphy up from a tree by his neck, keeping the teenager on a box to prevent him from dying before it was time. Though it was primarily Clarke trying to get everyone away, even Margot, Alessia, and Octavia tried to help, but Clarke was by far the most motivated. Once Murphy was up on the tree and Clarke spotted Bellamy, she rushed up to him.

"You can stop this!" she screamed at him pleadingly. "They'll listen to you!"

"Bellamy!" Connor exclaimed. "You should do it! Bell-a-my! Bell-a-my! Bell-a-my!"

The crowd started to chant again, this time praising Bellamy's name like, ironically, he was the Messiah of them all. As Bellamy stared up at Murphy and watched the teenager shake his head with a beg, Clarke's voice was loud in his ear: "I know Alessia killed Atom. I saw you in the woods. I _know _you're not a killer. Bellamy, don't do this. Don't...Bellamy!"

But he was already up there, right under murphy's feet, and he kicked the box over so Murphy was left without something to stand on. The noose around Murphy's neck started to choke him, obviously, and from within the cheerful crowd, Alessia stepped out right as Clarke started to cry.

"No, Bellamy, no!" Clarke cried.

"This is on you, Princess!" Bellamy snarled. "You should've kept your mouth shut!"

"Get the hell off of her!" Alessia growled as she watched Bellamy shake Clarke as the blonde whined. Alessia kicked her back and stood between Clarke and Bellamy with a pissed off expression. "This isn't her fault."

"No, it's yours." He stepped forward. "This create enough of a scene for you? I was right about you, wasn't I? All you're looking for is another fight to pick."

"Shut _up_!" As temperamental as she was, in the midst of an adrenaline-pumped crowd, it wasn't hard to believe that she'd try to take a swing at him. Nearly succeeded, too, but Bellamy was swift enough to dodge out of the way and grab her wrists tightly so that she couldn't get them out; this time, he was prepared for her fighting. The last few failures from his restraints was because he couldn't anticipate how strong she was, but he knew never to underestimate her. Alessia fought him, but was unable to slip out of his grasp, but she kicked and shoved and wiggled herself to get him off of her, but the next thing that they knew, Finn was back from his morning walk demanding that they bring Murphy down and there was a sudden shout.

"Just stop, okay? Murphy didn't kill Wells! I did!" Charlotte screamed.

"Oh, my God," Clarke whispered in disbelief and reached forward for the first weapon she saw. She ran over to the rope Murphy was being strung on and immediately chopped it down so the wrongfully accused prisoner fell to the ground, able to breathe again. Bellamy let Alessia go and he looked over at Charlotte with disapproving eyes, realizing just what she had done.

Murphy had gotten enough oxygen back in his system to want vengeance for himself, but the rest of the crowd (though they went with him) were all extremely uneasy to kill a little girl. Bellamy, Alessia, Finn, Clarke, and Charlotte all gathered inside the small tent, ignoring Murphy's shouts from outside.

"Why, Charlotte?" Bellamy practically whined.

"Because I was just trying to slay my demons like you told me!" Charlotte defended herself. Alessia let out one of the most frustrated groans she'd ever let escape from her lips.

"What the hell is she talking about?" Clarke demanded.

"She misunderstood me! Charlotte, that's not what I meant."

"No!" Alessia pointed an accusing finger at him. "No! Bellamy, that's exactly what you meant, you just didn't know what the hell you were doing. But, Charlotte, I _told _you what to do. I told you not to listen to him!"

"Bring the girl out now!" Murphy screamed. Charlotte began to cry.

"Please don't let them hurt me!"

Alessia buried her head in her hands with a shake, absolutely astounded at Charlotte's stupidity. Bellamy turned to Finn and Clarke. "If you guys have any bright ideas, speak up." No one said anything, causing Bellamy to become amusedly angry. "Now you stay quiet?!"

"Those are your boys out there," Finn countered.

"This is not my fault," Bellamy replied and looked at Alessia. "If she had listened to me, those idiots would still be building the wall."

"I wasn't the one who went out there and announced to the whole world that we had a murderer in our camp," Alessia defended herself. "Clarke did that! I wanted to bring Murphy in here and question him..._alone." _

"Hey, you want to build a society, Princess?" Murphy taunted Clarke from outside the tent. "Let's build a society! Bring her out!"

"No!" Charlotte begged. "Please, Bellamy..."

Bellamy bent down. "Charlotte, hey, it's gonna be okay. Just...stay with them."

After Bellamy turned to Finn, Clarke, and Alessia to indicate the people Charlotte were safe with, Alessia watched as he started to duck under the tent. She moved forward. "Bellamy! Bellamy, what the hell are you...?" Without paying attention to her protests, he went outside to face the crowd, earning her to grit her teeth. "Of course."

"We can't say here," Finn said aloud. "They'll kill her. Bellamy won't be able to stop them."

"So what do we do? Where do we go? There are Grounders everywhere and...and Murphy will find us." Clarke asked. Finn looked around for inspiration, but then, as if a light bulb lit up on his head, he looked at Clarke, who was confused because of his unspoken plan.

"Come on." Finn lifted the backside of the tent and they all fled as quickly as they could, all while hearing Murphy's promises of revenge.

* * *

They had trekked through the forest for nearly a half-hour when Alessia was getting real tired of being kept out of the loop. Clarke and Finn walked side by side while Alessia was forced to watch Charlotte beside her. "Hey! Any idea where we're going? The sun's about to set." Neither answered. "Okay...cool. So we're just gonna wander out here a little more until Murphy finds us, then?"

"I have a plan," Finn promised.

"It would be nice to share that plan with me," Clarke added.

He shrugged and repeated, "Trust me. I have a plan."

Alessia, hearing the remark, rolled her eyes and trudged behind the two with Charlotte by her side. Unexpectedly, Alessia felt Charlotte's hand slide into hers, seeking comfort, but this stopped Alessia dead cold in the middle of the forest. Without realizing it, she had shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Clarke and Finn turned around at them, where Clarke raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Alessia scoffed. "She tried to hold my hand like I was her mother or something." She turned back to the little girl. "Look, Charlotte, I might've went along with this to save you, but that doesn't mean you're excused for what you've done. You can blame it on Bellamy—hell, you might even be able to blame it on me! I don't know what world you're living on, but in the real world, we don't kill people...just 'cause."

"Alessia," Finn started in a disapproving tone. She looked up at him and shrugged.

"What? You think just because she's a child she deserves to be given special treatment? Hate to break it to you, Spacewalker, but we're all children here. But she killed someone in cold blood." Alessia's eyes turned to the shameful Charlotte, but she didn't feel an ounce of pity. "I spent years learning from my father how to kill someone. He encouraged it. But there's a right and a wrong, Charlotte, and what you did was _wrong _on so many levels. Do you even realize that?" There was no answer, and Alessia stepped forward, grabbing the girl by her shoulders to give her a slight shake. "Hey! I'm talking to you, damn it! The one thing that I had to learn on my own is something that you need to this very second: you cannot end someone's life and think everything is gonna be okay! Got it?"

Before Charlotte could respond in any capacity, there was a loud shout, "Charlotte! Clarke, Finn, and Alessia can't save you!"

Alessia turned on her heel. "Are we just gonna stand here all day and wait for him to come to us? No? I didn't think so. Let's move." She looked at Clarke and pointed at Charlotte. "_You _stay behind with her."

"Yeah, that's one way to go," Finn interrupted them as Alessia and Clarke started to move in one direction. "I like my plan better." He reached down and pulled open a hatch from the ground. "Get in."

Alessia, Charlotte, Clarke, and Finn all climbed inside, shutting the hatch do or as they were all secure. With a flashlight in hand, Clarke walked around and surveyed the ground compartment she had been led.

"Finn...what is this place?" Clarke asked.

"For now, it's...home," he answered. Determined not to stay in darkness for the rest of the night, Clarke and Finn went around and lit the candles all over the secret hatch so they had light. Charlotte, who was extremely tired, was tucked into bed by Finn while Alessia roamed around the small hatch in curiosity. Clarke did the same, speaking to Finn about it, as well, but Alessia was too focused to hear their conversation. She scowered the shelves of the space to find something that she desperately desired. It took her an extremely odd amount of time, but eventually, she jumped up and interrupted Clarke and Finn's conversation.

"A-ha!" Alessia held up a small journal as if it were a prize. Clarke and Finn stared at her in confusion and she smirked. "It's a journal. I found a journal. Really, it's more of a notepad, but..."

Finn, who looked utterly confused, was only soothed by Clarke's explanation. "Alessia's been going insane without a diary."

"Ah." Finn nodded. "That makes sense."

Without responding, Alessia walked over to the table lit with candles and sat down. Clarke and Finn were lying on the couch with their eyes half open and, though Alessia herself was tired from all the running, she pushed through the following half hour while everyone else slept to write inside of the small notepad. She didn't remember when, but she had fallen asleep as well.

* * *

"Our ancestors built this Ark to be our salvation, but it's also our test."

Kane stepped through the automatic doors into the part of the Ark where he had been called, just to walk in right as a very special person was speaking about the Eden Tree to her listeners. Distracted, he stopped, and watched as his mother smiled at him.

"But we endure because we have faith," she continued. "Faith that, one day, generations from now, our people will return to the ground." The crowd listening to Vera Kane turned around seeing her distracted eyes to all come in contact with Marcus, who was overseeing the meeting. She smiled kindly at her son. "Are you here to join us?"

"He's here to see me, Vera," said Nygel, who was in the other room around the corner from where Vera was set up with the Eden Tree, playing chess with another citizen. "Go on with your mumbo-jumbo." A disappointed Vera watched as her son left to meet with Nygel, who was nonchalant as her partner left and Marcus approached. "Your mother's inspired today, Marcus. I remember when you were the tender of the Tree, you were a cute kid. Your daughter was even cuter."

"Why did you bring me down here, Nygel? What do you want?"

"It's about what you want. I have something for you."

"Unless it's a signed confession, I'm not interested," he brushed it off. He had been after Nygel, the sleazy woman who was undoubtedly selling illegal items to the rest of the Ark, for a while now, but didn't have enough evidence to arrest her just yet.

"Not even if it involves your friend, Abby Griffin?" Nygel asked, tilting her head accusingly. This immediately caused an interest in Marcus.

"What about Abby?"

"She and a girl named Raven Reyes asked me to get them a pressure regulator. As a lowly culinary tech, I didn't feel I had a choice when one of your fellow councilors asked me to help her break the law." It was clear in Nygel's eyes; she was doing this out of spite. Marcus stepped forward.

"And since when do you give up your customers?" he accused.

"I don't have customers, Marcus," she lied. "I am a citizen of the Ark, and I don't believe _anyone _should be above the law. Do you?"

Marcus grimaced. "You're a plague on this ship, Nygel. And even if what you said is true, it's your word against a member of the Council. And who do you think people will believe?"

She inhaled sharply and produced a needle full of morphine, proving her story was true. "You know...you should thank me. With Abby out of the way, your agenda should sail _right _through."

Marcus looked up with a feigned expression of confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're almost as convincing as your mother. Waste of water, if you ask me."

"Not to them."

"And, if I may ask," Nygel leaned forward with an interested look. "How is your lovely daughter, Alessia? Isn't her revision coming up soon? That is, if you'll release her with the quarantine in the prison and all that. Hopefully, she's not sick."

Nygel didn't care, and Kane knew that. "Dead, Nygel." He turned to walk out. "She's dead."

* * *

Alessia had been woken upon the fearful news from Clarke that Charlotte was gone. It was unclear of her fate, whether she was captured by Murphy or ran off to be on her own for some unknown reason, but they went after her almost immediately after finding out. Eventually, Finn, Clarke, and Alessia saw lights coming from a portion of the forest, and they ran out to stop what was happening.

"Bellamy! Stop!" Clarke shouted as she emerged from the forest with Finn and Alessia behind her. But it wasn't Bellamy who was doing anything—he had his arm in front of Charlotte, protecting her from Murphy and his men who demanded that Bellamy hand Charlotte over. Clarke looked at Murphy with sympathetic eyes. "This has gone too far. Just calm down...we'll talk about this."

Murphy hesitated, and for a moment, it seemed like he was about to give up. Instead, he reached beside him and took the closest person to him, which happened to be Alessia, who was taken too off guard to fight back by the time he had a knife to her throat, pressing just enough into it so that she didn't dare try to move, otherwise it would slit her jugular. Murphy looked at Clarke.

"I'm _sick _of listening to you talk."

Finn stepped forward. "Hey, let her go—"

"Back off! I will slit her throat!" Murphy growled.

Alessia held in a breath as she hissed, "You're lucky I didn't see it coming, you bastard."

"Yeah? What happened to that whole 'I'll kick your ass' bit, huh? Who's laughing now?"

"No, please!" Charlotte shouted. "Please don't hurt her."

"Don't hurt her?" Murphy repeated slowly through soft pants. "Okay, I'll make you a deal. You come with me right now, I will let her go."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Alessia snapped through her teeth. "Screw _you_. Don't you dare listen to a word he says, Charlotte!"

But, again, Charlotte didn't want to listen to her. She moved forward to go with Murphy but Bellamy held her back as Alessia struggled with Murphy's grasp, but was hindered by the blade pressing enough into her throat where she could feel a droplet of blood drip onto her shirt.

"No!" Charlotte screamed as she struggled against Bellamy's grasp. "No, I have to!"

Bellamy was far too strong for Charlotte to fight. She ended up giving in relatively fast, and therefore Bellamy looked back at Murphy, still holding Alessia captive, and said slowly, "Murphy, this is _not _happening. Let her go."

"I can't let any of you get hurt anymore." The soft voice was Charlotte's from behind Bellamy's strong, towering body, and she continued, "Not because of me. Not after what I did."

And then she turned, and Clarke screamed out, "Charlotte!"

With the shock of Charlotte throwing herself off of the cliff the group were right on the edge of, Murphy let Alessia go enough so that she slid to the edge of the cliff, her knees covered in the wet mud from the fresh rain. She and Bellamy hovered over the edge without a word to say, and behind them Clarke wept. Bellamy, furious over the death of such a young child, turned around and sought after Murphy, who was well aware of Bellamy's anger. In a flash of blind rage, Bellamy started to hit and kick and Murphy until the second-in-command was down on the ground, covered in his own blood. Clarke's protests were evident, and Alessia turned around and stood up. She didn't say a word, part of her wanting Bellamy to kill him. Murphy deserved to die, she thought; but then she realized that it was the exact thing she had told Charlotte she couldn't do: murder someone in cold blood. As Clarke tried to intervene in the fight with her high-pitched shrills, Alessia yanked Bellamy up from the ground and shoved him back.

"Bellamy, stop! You don't want to kill him."

"Get off of me!" Bellamy snarled and jerked his arm to his side. "He deserves to die!"

"No! We don't decide who lives and dies. Not down here," Clarke demanded as she stepped in front of him between Murphy and Bellamy.

With heavy pants, Bellamy snapped at her, "So help me God, if you say the people have a right to decide, I will—"

"No! No, I was wrong before, okay?" Clarke confessed. "You were right. Sometimes, it's dangerous to tell people the truth. But if we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by 'whatever the hell we want.' We need rules."

The frustrated Bellamy growled, "And who makes those rules, huh? You?"

"For now, we make the rules. Okay?"

"So what, then? We just take him back and pretend like it never happened?"

"No!" There was a long pause as Clarke turned around tried to come up with a long term solution, and though it took her some time, she finally came up with: "We banish him."

It took Bellamy a moment, but at last, he reached down and grabbed Murphy by the collar of his jacket and shoved him over to the edge of the cliff. "Get up!"

"Bellamy! Stop!" Clarke scolded.

Holding Murphy right over the edge of the cliff to his definite death, Bellamy hissed, "If I ever catch you near camp, we'll be back here. Understand?" Murphy nodded, and Bellamy shoved him down on the ground so that the deviant could recover his breath. He looked at Murphy's followers. "As for the four of you, you can come back and follow me, or go off with him to die. Your choice."

And, without anything else, Bellamy left the spot at the edge of the cliff, where everyone but John Murphy followed.

* * *

Kane was left with no options...or, that's what he'd like to believe. Part of him knew that if he didn't have Abby arrested, Nygel would find some way to bring it down on him that he was being insubordinate. Another part of him wanted Abby to be arrested to get her out of the way. Oddly enough, the moment they reached Mecha station, they found Abby waiting outside with her head bowed and without a word as Kane approached her.

"I'm hoping there's a logical explanation for all this," Kane told her.

"My daughter," she answered.

Kane nodded. "I know. I'm sorry." She glanced up at him. "We all knew it was a long shot."

"I still believe," Abby snapped. "I still believe that my daughter is out there—and like it or not, I believe yours is out there, too."

"My daughter is dead." Kane didn't bat an eye while saying the sentence, but then again, he had always trained himself to hide his deepest emotions. "Her transmission went out, which can only mean one of two things. She was too weak to survive Earth or Earth is not habitable."

"Your daughter is not a clone of you, Marcus," Abby hissed at him. "She is not a rock. She is a _girl. _A child. And you never thought she was good enough, which was why she hates you."

"Hated," he corrected as he stared at Abby with serious eyes. "She _hated _me. As far as I'm concerned, she's gone."

Abby stared at him with incredulous eyes. "And you don't even care."

"When do I have the time?" he whispered softly and walked around her. "What's the pressure regulator for, Abby?" She gave no answer. "There is no...bacteria, is there? Your infected mechanic—Raven Reyes—what's she up to?" Still, there was no answer. "Did you know her boyfriend, Finn Collins, was one of The 100? Your _obsession_ is now gonna get her floated, too. If you don't tell me what you're up to, I won't be able to save her."

"You still don't understand. I'm trying to save all of us." Abby let a tear fall from her eyes as she prayed that Raven would get to the ground and see her daughter. "Just because you've given up hope on your daughter doesn't mean I've given up hope on mine."

With a hesitation, Kane turned on his heel and looked at his men. "Arrest her. Continue to search for Raven Reyes."

"Sir," his guard agreed. Kane walked down the hallway, about to leave Mecha station, when there was the sound in the distance of an airlock opening. Kane rushed up behind Abby down the opposite end of the hall when the same guard caught his attention. "Sir, a pod launched."

Kane rushed up to their new prisoner as they were taking her away. "Abby! What have you done?"

He turned her around and she stated bluntly, "We have to know the truth."

* * *

_Dear Diary, _

_When did it become this complicated? Fighting for survival...hunting through nooks and crannies to find some stupid journal...deciding whether or not to kill someone for a crime...watching as a girl, granted a murderer, throws herself off a cliff even though there's a whole life in front of her...all of this is hardly normal. Less than a week and a half ago, I was in a solitary cell, hating my father for everything that he wasn't. Now, I find myself missing him. I don't...miss him, I miss arguing with him. Over trivial things like when my curfew was or what I wanted for dinner. Things that he never cared about. But those things, the simple things, was what made life so appealing. _

_Now it's life or death decisions. Banish someone...kill someone...arrest someone for their crime. It's like our lives_—_my life, in particular_—_flipped upside down. Even in prison it'd never been so hard. Sometimes I wonder if_

"Where did you get that?"

Alessia looked up from her vigorous writing to see Bellamy walk over to her fire, where she was positioned against the back of a tree watching as the bright yellow embers of the fire glowed just a few feet from her. Without asking to be invited, he sat down beside her and she closed the journal promptly with a shrug.

"Found it," she lied. "On the ground a few miles from here. It was pretty filthy but I managed to salvage most of the pages. It'll do."

He drank a large gulp of water out of the man-made plastic bags they used for carriers and sighed. She could see the toll of the day's events in his eyes, and he looked over to meet her curious gaze. "Does this mean I'm not your journal anymore?"

She smiled lightly. "Would you still like to be?"

"No. You're a pretty boring girl."

"I thought I was an adrenaline-junkie looking to pick an argument every five seconds," she countered snidely, avoiding his glance for a moment to look into the fire. Bellamy dropped his smile.

"Yeah, well...I was upset...people were screaming—"

"And...you're right." She shrugged and looked over at him to find him staring incredulously at her words. "I know. Shocker. But you're right. I like picking fights, it's a part of who I am. It's just something you're going to have to deal with if you want to be friends with me."

He arched an eyebrow. "Who said anything about being friends?"

She sighed heavily. "Well, we could always go back to being enemies. To be honest, I preferred it that way. Then I wouldn't have to be surprised after you do something nice for a change."

"Mm." Bellamy mumbled, nodding his head slowly without another word. He looked down to the ground, and Alessia could see the distressed look on his face. Straightening her legs out, she gave another exhale.

"Let's see...dear diary," she began slowly, catching Bellamy's attention. "Do you remember that self-absorbed power-hungry jackass Messiah I talked about this morning? Turns out, he might not be such a...self-absorbed power-hungry jackass after all."

For a moment, the two shared a meaningful glance, something that didn't have to be spoken out through words. Without saying anything, Bellamy moved himself so that his back was firmly against the tree and his legs were outstretched towards the fire. Both of their heads rested on the tree bark, and Alessia rolled her head over to see his face.

"I'm still calling you Messiah, though. It's very fitting."

Bellamy scoffed. "Whatever you say, Robin Hood."

Alessia smiled, and through the shit day that the both of them had, it was nice for there to finally be a sliver of light.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Review, please!**

* * *

**TooLazyToLogin: **And the Alessia/Bellamy moments just won't stop :) Yeah Charlotte's character really pissed me off but The 100 throws the best curveballs. That's what I love about this show.

**heytay1: **Thanks so much!

**Red red red ribbon: **Thanks! Here's the update!

**Totter4: **Unfortunately, to keep it within Marcus's character for a little while, we won't see him really mourn over Alessia until after The Culling. But it'll be worth it :)

**Guest: **Thank you so much! That means a lot!

**SuperNaturalxxFreak: **That's so nice to hear :) Alessia and Bellamy are my babies, I'm trying not to be super sadistic and draw this out because I love them together already but I have to do it for the sake of the story. Like I've said, I never liked Charlotte. She just pissed me off not only because of Wells but because she was just a brat. Alessia and Marcus will definitely have a bit of a trip, especially in Season 2. I can't wait to get there for you all to read it. Thanks for the review!

**Guest: **Thank you! Robin Hood was a random nickname that I threw in for good measure but I'm glad everyone likes it!

**WolvenNightshade: **Like I said, it's one of my favorite songs because my dad used to sing it to me as a kid. No, I haven't, but he has for sure.


	5. Twilight's Last Gleaming

**This chapter is astronomically short, which is strange, but this is an overall strange chapter. Strange but good. I hope. **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Twilight's Last Gleaming**

"Robin Hood!"

Alessia woke with a start, jolting from her position lying down in her tent with her journal in her arms and her pen clutched tightly in her fist. Margot was standing at the flap of her tent with a smile painted over her face. Alessia, groggy and slightly furious that she was woken up from great slumber, growled, "What?"

"Get your ass out of bed and get out here!" Just like that, Margot was gone, and Alessia was left tired, sitting straight, and looking down at black spots on her hand from where ink had gotten onto her skin. Lifting herself up from the ground, she ducked under the flap and walked outside, looking equally as unpresentable as the rest of the juvenile teenagers around her. So she wandered, half asleep, in the direction of the crowd as she saw behind her eyelids the bed that awaited her in her tent. She was right on the verge of sleepwalking when suddenly, a sight woke her up.

"Hey, do you know what's going on?" Bellamy caught her attention as he walked out of his tent, completely shirtless like it was no big deal. Alessia felt like she had been hit with a bucket of cold water on her face, no longer walking like a tired zombie. She couldn't help herself, with the lack of sleep in her system and Bellamy surprising her out of nowhere. She barely noticed the two girls walk out from his tent behind him wrapped up in his blankets.

"Um...I..." She fumbled for words, but they seemed to be escaping her. Bellamy looked down at her from where he had been looking—in the crowd, that was—and narrowed his eyes with a smile. He watched as she snapped her eyes up to his heatedly. "I don't know if you know this, but a shirt is actually not a very hard contraption to handle. You should try it sometime."

He just couldn't resist smirking at the flustered look upon her face, which caused her lips to turn down in disdain. "I'll have to remember that."

"There!" Octavia shouted from the front of the crowd, causing Alessia and Bellamy to turn and push their way through to stand next to his sister. All of the teenagers looked up to the night sky and watched as a ship launched across the sky and through the atmosphere.

"They're coming to help us," said one of the delinquents in the crowd as they all gathered around excitedly. "Now we can kick some Grounder ass!"

"Yeah!"

"Please tell me they brought down some shampoo," said another, a girl, in the crowd standing a few bodies away from Octavia, Bellamy, and Alessia. While the teenagers ran around trying to figure out what could be inside of the pod, Bellamy gathered his men in a tent to discuss their strategy for finding the pod. Octavia barged in on them, and Alessia, after she had cleaned up a bit, put on a jacket, and pulled her hair away from her face like usual, paced outside of the tent waiting for the word to be spoken so they could clear out. But when Bellamy's men came out, they announced that they were going to wait until sunrise to head out.

Bellamy and Octavia followed them shortly afterwards, where Alessia stopped Bellamy at the front of the tent.

"What's going on?" she questioned immediately. "Why aren't we heading out for the pod, we should go _now_—"

"I don't have time for this, Kane," Bellamy snapped before brushing past her without so much as another word. Octavia, with an apologetic look towards Alessia, went right after her brother and Alessia was left standing furiously. She felt Margot's presence beside her and frowned.

"That was rude," Alessia snapped to herself. Margot scoffed.

"Well, what do you expect? It's Bellamy."

"Yeah, but..." She stopped short, regretting what she was about to say. _He's not that kind of Bellamy with me, _was what she would've said, but upon second reflection she realized that it wasn't her place to decide what kind of 'Bellamy' he was. Instead of getting mad at him for being rude, she decided to get suspicious about the pod. She turned to Margot. "But something's not right. Why wouldn't we go after the pod? The smartest move is to go as quickly as possible so we reach it first in case the Grounders are looking for it, too."

Margot shrugged. "That's the problem, Bellamy's not smart."

"No, he is," Alessia pushed seriously. "He is smart; too smart to think of this dumb plan. He's up to something."

The girl beside her rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

"What, that he's up to something?"

"No, that you would be the one to figure that out." Alessia cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, Robin Hood. It's no secret you two have been taking sunrise strolls together out in the woods."

She shook her head. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sitting together by the fire...getting all flustered like an hour ago when he came out with no shirt...being all hot and bothered when he ignored you just now..." Margot's lips turned up. "You like him."

Alessia tried to feign offense, but she ended up just laughing eventually and turning on her heel with a smile on her face. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Margot kept up with her acquaintance as Alessia briskly tried to walk away. "Don't bother denying it, the smile says it all."

"It's a laugh at how stupid you're being right now." Alessia entered her tent and hunted around for the knife that Bellamy let her keep. "Bellamy is...entitled and rude and—"

"Hot?"

"Yes." Alessia looked up at Margot with a bitter smile. "He is very pleasant-looking. But this has nothing to do with the fact that a pod just launched from the sky and Bellamy is going after it."

Margot frowned. "You don't know that just because he's acting weird."

Alessia sighed and climbed out of her tent. "I know that because he's Bellamy. He wants whatever's inside that pod and I'm gonna go find it before he can."

"He's probably already gone to go find it if that's what you really think he wants to do..." Margot followed Alessia, again being brisk with her pace, all the way over to Bellamy's tent, where Alessia yanked open the flap just to hear the startled shrieks of two girls. With a roll of her eyes, Alessia realized Bellamy wasn't inside and immediately turned to Margot, who waited with a concerned look.

"Yep, he's gone already."

"Who was in there, then?"

Alessia shrugged. "I don't know, two other girls. Can't remember their names."

The brunette teenager grimaced. "You know, for someone who should be jealous right now, you're not really doing a fantastic job about it."

She scoffed. "What's to be jealous of? Did I put a purity ring on him or something? No. Are you gonna come with me or what?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No, actually, I don't."

"Well, fine." Margot stopped and watched as Alessia gave her a bittersweet smile and walked into the woods. The frustrated Margot eventually shouted out, "You know, Bellamy's not the only rude one around here!"

* * *

She hadn't caught up with him until the sun was shining brightly over her head and it seemed to be somewhere way early in the morning. All Alessia wanted to do was sleep, but she very well couldn't do that until she found Bellamy and figured out what the hell he was up to. She managed to find his tracks and not get lost, but a part of her still doubted that she was going the right way. Every time that happened, she just remembered her father's grouchy voice in her head telling her to suck it up and never doubt herself twice because bad things happen when you doubt yourself. So she followed the tracks she felt strongly were Bellamy's, and eventually found him wandering in the woods, looking shaken up.

"Bellamy!" Alessia shouted to catch his attention and watched as Bellamy turned around visibly groaned at her presence, to which she was very displeased to when she ran up to him and stopped. "I've been looking for you all night."

"I appreciate the gesture." He smiled sourly and began to walk, causing her to keep up the pace. "But there was no need. I'm just taking a little stroll. Thought I'd clear my head."

"Bullshit. You went to find whatever the hell fell out from the sky and get to it before anyone else could." Alessia rolled her eyes and pulled him to a stop. He turned at her with an irritated glance and crossed her arms. "So come on, tell me what you found."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop playing games, Blake. You're too smart to 'wait until first light' the people back at the camp. I saw right through you." He started to walk again, and she kept up just like before. "You know, I'm getting sick of you walking away from me! Whatever crawled up your ass after you saw the pod, you need to tell me. Now."

"I don't need to tell you anything," Bellamy snapped. "I don't even like you, Kane."

"Oh, quit acting like I don't exist, it's unbecoming of you." She rolled her eyes again. "We spent more than two hours in a cave together—where you hit on me, might I add—and then you skipped out into the woods and kept your impossible mouth _shut _for more than two minutes...you know, an act of God, and then you came and joined me at the fire and—"

Bellamy turned around at her abruptly so that they stopped, and she stepped back realizing that they were too close. He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"I don't know what you think this is, but we're not in a Jane Austen novel."

"I'm not saying I want to marry you, jackass," Alessia bit. "But, at the very most, we're friends. Not so much anymore because I'm starting to get a little pissed off. So why don't you go ahead and tell me what I want to know so I don't punch you in the goddamn face?"

"Oh." Bellamy began to laugh. "I'm sorry, is that supposed to scare me?"

"You're treading on thin waters," she warned as she stepped forward with her finger pointed at him accusingly. "Don't forget that I am the daughter of Marcus Kane and I will beat you to a pulp if I have to."

"Like you could, Robin Hood."

"Well why don't you go ahead and test me, Messiah—"

He did, in a way that neither Alessia nor Bellamy really expected. It had come on so fast that Bellamy didn't even have time to think about what he did before he had his hands on her neck, his nails digging into the back of her head at the base of her hair as his lips fell onto hers and he kissed her with all his strength. She was shocked, so much so that she didn't know what was happening or how to process it, but it soon became a very strange situation. The kiss lasted all of thirty seconds, enough for her thoughts to become so clouded that she ended up kissing him back, equally as passionate, before she really registered what was happening and managed to shove him off of her. Bellamy stumbled back, quite surprised at what he'd done, himself.

Her hand clenched into a fist. "What the hell, Blake?"

Bellamy sighed, exasperated. "To be fair, you did ask me to test you."

He watched as her eyes flared up with fury so blinding she was practically seeing red. "I can't believe you! You had no right to kiss me out of the blue like that. I thought you didn't even like me, huh?" She watched his light shrug with disgust. "Oh, I'm _so _pissed at you right now. I think I might end up murdering you."

He rolled his eyes at her, irritated. "You know what, Kane, you can go ahead and be mad at me all you want but that is something that you and I needed to do and you know it. Hell, you knew it last night when you were all...flushed seeing me come out of that tent."

She threw her hands up in the air. "So what? You're attractive. There, you got another ego boost from me. Congrats. Are you satisfied?" He opened his mouth, but she stopped him. "Shut your mouth, Blake, I don't want to hear what you have to say to that question. But since you already took what you wanted from me, you owe me. Tell me what you found in the pod."

Bellamy thought about disregarding her question, but eventually, he found that it was much easier to just give her what she wanted, knowing that she wouldn't give up until he did so.

"It was a radio, okay? I wanted the radio."

"Why?" Bellamy said nothing but just looked at her as she raised an eyebrow at him and slowly came to the conclusion. Her face relaxed and she grimaced. "What the hell did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Liar. What did you do with the radio, Blake?"

"What do you care, anyway?" Abruptly, Bellamy turned around and resumed walking in the direction towards camp. "You know, you followed me out here...for what? I kiss you and you yell at me. Because _that _seems like a natural reaction. You're messed up, Kane."

"Don't talk to me about who's messed up here. I'm going to ask you for the last time, what did you do with that radio?" She caught his arm and jerked him back. "Look, we're going to forget about what just happened, okay? Because I don't feel like being so angry with you that I don't talk to you because that just creates problems for me that I don't really feel like having. So tell me, Bellamy."

"Fine!" He threw his arms up in the air, making Alessia drop her hand from his jacket. "Fine. You want to know what I did? I got rid of it."

"Why?"

"Because of reasons you don't need to know."

_"Don't _make me threaten you for another answer again," she snarled. Bellamy visibly squared his jaw, but she reached forward and grabbed his shoulders tightly. "Look at me. Why the hell would you get rid of something that could contact the Ark? I never believed your stupid 'whatever the hell we want' story, anyways. So just give it up."

He was partially irate, partially biting his tongue to keep back the truth he wanted to reveal. Eventually, both sides of him gave out, and he reached up and knocked her hands down before saying softly, "I shot the Chancellor, okay? That's why I got rid of the radio."

Bellamy didn't try to walk away again, but he looked in every possible direction except for down, where he knew Alessia would be looking at him with her disappointed look that she loved to give. The small gasp from her mouth was audible.

"What? Are you serious? W-Why?"

Snapping, he looked down at her and groaned. "Will you quit asking that?"

"Will you quit giving me half of the story and come out with the whole one already so I don't have to keep asking you?" she countered, having a very valid point.

Sighing, Bellamy answered, "I did it so that I could be with Octavia, all right? Happy now? I killed the Chancellor to get on the drop ship and then I broke into the pod and stole the radio."

She wanted to respond, but before she could, there was a sound in the distance. Clarke ran out from the side of the clearing they were stopped in with an angry look on her face.

"Hey!" She stopped where Bellamy and Alessia were and looked at Bellamy with cold eyes. "Where is it?"

Bellamy began to walk in the direction he kept inching towards, and the two girls followed him. But he put on his brave face and pretended not to know what she was talking about. "Hey, Princess. You taking a walk in the woods?"

She scoffed at him, ignoring the small talk. "They're getting ready to kill 300 people up there! To save oxygen. And I can guarantee you it won't be Council members. It'll be working people. _Your _people."

Alessia crossed her arms and shook her head in disbelief. "What? 300 people? How do you know that?"

"Bellamy." Suddenly, Finn also came rushing out of the forest, his arms outstretched as he looked at the standstill and aimed towards Bellamy. Finn pushed Bellamy back the second he had contact. "Where's the radio?"

Bellamy shoved right back. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Bellamy Blake?" another girl asked beside him, one that Bellamy and Alessia didn't recognize. She had a bruise on her forehead, and Bellamy immediately realized that she was the girl in the pod; Raven Reyes. Alessia, however, was about as clueless as ever. "They're looking everywhere for you."

"Shut up," the dark-haired leader snapped. Clarke intervened.

"Looking for him why?"

"He shot Chancellor Jaha."

The words were said pointedly with a cold air around them from the pod girl's lips. Alessia sighed heavily, watching as Bellamy bit down on his cheek and said nothing, meanwhile Clarke took a step back and realized.

"That's why you took the wristbands. You needed everyone to think we're dead!"

"All that 'whatever the hell we want'...you just care about saving your own skin," Finn snorted. Bellamy, without a word, turned and tried to walk away. Clarke watched Alessia with concern.

"Why aren't you surprised?" she asked. Alessia started towards Bellamy.

"Because he _just _told me. Like two seconds ago. Just..." She jogged up. "Bellamy, just wait—"

"Hey! Shooter! Where's my radio?" Raven interrogated, jogging up to Bellamy and Alessia as well as Bellamy flinched away from Alessia without speaking. Alessia turned to the pod girl with narrowed eyes.

"Okay, who the hell _are_ you?"

Ignoring Alessia, Raven stepped in front of Bellamy, who growled, "Get out of my way!"

"Where is it?"

"I should've killed you when I had the chance," Bellamy hissed in her face. She showed no fear.

"Really? Well, I'm right here—"

Without hesitation, Bellamy wrapped his hand around her throat and pinned Raven up against the nearest tree. Clarke, Finn, and Alessia all moved forward to intervene when Raven whipped out a knife and held it in front of Bellamy's face without so much as batting an eye.

"Where's my radio?" she snarled.

"Okay, stop it," Clarke demanded of them. Bellamy, finding that he didn't feel like taking on a knife fight, let Raven go and walked away from them.

Over his shoulder, he called out, "Jaha deserved to die. You all know that."

"Yeah, he's not my favorite person, either!" Raven agreed loudly, pulling Bellamy's attention back. "But he isn't dead."

A strange look overcame his features. "What?"

"You're a lousy shot."

"Hey." Alessia moved forward to him and shook her head. "You did what you needed to do to come down with your sister because that's the kind of person you are, because you protect her. You may be an ass half the time, but you are _not _a murderer and you know it." He fell silent, and she nodded quietly. "Where's the radio?"

His response was solemn: "It's too late."

* * *

Bellamy had been ultimately right; it was too late to save the radio in time to get word to the Ark about Earth's habitability so that they could stop the killing of 300 people. But that didn't stop the people on the ground from doing what they could to make the Ark see them. They used the rocket fuel from the drop ship to build flares that should be visible from space, but it was all about burn time and cloud cover.

The 100 gathered around by the rockets and watched as the purple streaks raced through the sky as intended. Bellamy stood next to Clarke, who was still furious with him about what he did to the radio and probably would still be furious until the end of time about it. He attempted, however, to make things a little better.

"You think they can see it from up there?" Bellamy asked her. She shook her head.

"I don't know. I hope so." She paused. "Can you wish on this kind of shooting star?" He glanced at her curiously, causing her to frown. "Forget it."

Bellamy thought about it for a moment, replaying Clarke's words, and he let his eyes wander in the crowd for a moment or two before he found someone that he wasn't aware he'd been searching for, but inevitably found. Alessia was lying on the grass away from the crowd, her journal in her lap, looking up at the purple flares without a word. With a sigh, Bellamy turned back to Clarke and moved his head from one side to the other.

"I wouldn't even know _what _to wish for."

* * *

Alessia felt a little lonesome sitting out of the crowd all by herself, but as she looked over the bodies of the teenagers that gathered around the rockets, she saw the bright streaks of rocket fuel through the air and just hoped for one thing: that the Ark could see them. As good as she felt about taking off her wristband, there was a part of her inside that still wanted her father to come down and see her thriving like he'd never had before. She wished it, actually.

With a deep breath, she bowed her head down into her journal and wrote softly:

_I don't know how to begin to describe today, so I won't. Too much has happened for me to go into explicit detail. Bottom line is, things were strange and people made bad decisions. But the truth is, no one can blame others or themselves for a bad decision. _

_We all make stupid, downright idiotic, plainly dumb decisions at least once every day. The real challenge is learning how to live with it. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**Guest: **Here's the update :)

**Momsen-xxxx: **After this chapter, I think we definitely need a ship name or something because honestly, it's a mouthful to say Bellamy and Alessia.

**suzii3499: **I know aren't they cute? Lol the nickname Messiah was kind of just one of those "OH MY GOD IT'S PERFECT" moments and I had to put it in there haha. Thanks for reviewing!

**TheDysfunctional: **Thanks! No more need to be greedy, here's the chapter...even if it is abnormally short.

**katiesgotagun: **If this chapter didn't answer your question I don't know what will. YES. It is a Bellamy/OC after all. Alessia and Bellamy are definitely going to have their moments.

**BrittWitt16: **Thank you! Yeah, honestly, it worries me to write Kane as a father into the show because sometimes I feel like it might not be in his character but I do it anyways. Hopefully I'm doing a good job at it.

**BrittWitt16: **That was the goal haha. They needed to move in the right direction and yes, the sexual tension was definitely through the roof at that point and I'm glad you think it was definitely Bellamy because I'm always a little apprehensive when writing in scenes like that because he just has a really complex personality.

**BrittWitt16: **There's no need to cry because there's a new chapter right here :) Problem solved. Thank you so much for the kind reviews!

**The-Originals-Rock: **That's so good to hear! #YES. Season 2 will be extremely interesting...but good interesting. Well, I hope.

**hodhod2011danger: **Bickering between characters is kind of my forte because it's so easy. It's the mushy stuff that's the hard part which is why some of the sweeter scenes come out awkward...anyways thanks! No need to wait any longer.

**Guest: **Aw thanks! I listened to you, though! Here's the update!


	6. His Sister's Keeper

**Quick little note up here. I published a new The 100 story (even though the first chapter/prologue is super short so it doesn't technically count but hopefully the next chapter will be finished soon) so I would really love it if you guys would give it a try! It's based off of another show and is also a Bellamy/OC if you're interested. It's the only other The 100 story on my profile but it's called "Deception" just in case. If you would read and review it would be really appreciated! Thanks guys...enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**His Sister's Keeper**

Later that night, after the flares they launched were far out of sight and the rest of the 100 went to bed, Alessia snuck out of the barrier blockading the woods from their camp and walked, not too far, to the spot that she had made her own. She knew it wasn't safe to be outside the wall, what with the Grounders and everything else, but she didn't feel any safer inside their camp than outside of it, so what was the point? Besides, it was nice to get away from all of the teenage drama that was going around only a few feet away from her. It was sad, actually, that all the juveniles could think about was sex, food, more sex, and war. Like it didn't even matter anymore that Earth was survivable again.

Alessia had...oh, all of about ten minutes of silence to herself when she was finally interrupted. Someone stumbled through the dark, and though she was slightly concerned for her safety and pulled her leg up to reach for the knife inside of her boot just in case, she was relieved to find that it was only Finn. He walked up to the tree a few feet away from her and reached for the zipper of his pants, in which case, Alessia thought it best to call out, "It's not very gentleman-like to pee in front of a lady, you know."

Finn nearly jumped out of his almost unzipped pants and turned around to look at her, blending into the darkness. She straightened her legs and leaned against her tree that she had unofficially claimed for her own, and Finn narrowed his eyes at her.

"What the hell are you doing out here, Alessia?"

She looked up at the sky. "I don't know...thinking, I guess. Well, I was until you almost sprung a leak right in front of me."

"It's not safe being out here in the dark with Grounders on the loose." Despite his protest, Finn walked over to her and stood by her feet, waiting to be invited into her sacred place. "May I?"

"Sure." She moved over and he sat next to her, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his calves to get comfortable. Things were silent for a moment when Alessia asked, "Hey, aren't you supposed to be with that mechanic that fell from the sky? What's her name? R..."

"Raven," Finn finished for her as she trailed off forgetfully. Alessia nodded at him and he sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"You don't seem too happy about your girlfriend, Spacewalker."

"Things are just...complicated," he admitted as he leaned back against the tree. Alessia eyed him with pursed lips, and then she whispered while bumping Spacewalker's arm.

"What, because of Clarke?"

He looked at her, surprised. "Did she tell you?"

"Doesn't take a nuclear physicist to figure it out, Finn. Clarke and I have been...besties since the crib." Alessia bit down on her lip thinking about it with a shake of her head. "Well, not so much nowadays. She's too busy...leading the people and all that. Doesn't mean I forgot her tells. Which is also while I'm primarily avoiding her at the moment."

Finn arched an eyebrow. "Because of me and Clarke?"

"No because of..." Alessia cleared her throat and cut herself off, deciding it was best not to say anything. With a thick swallow, she finished, "...a personal matter that she would figure out the moment I spend two minutes alone with her."

"Oh." Finn nodded. "So you mean you and Bellamy?" Her eyes turned to him widely, and he looked back at her with a smile. "Doesn't take a nuclear physicist to figure it out, Alessia. And...Margot Roberts doesn't really know what a secret is."

She hissed, "This is why I need new friends."

"You can always befriend some Grounders out here."

"Ha-ha," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "Funny. I'll make sure to direct them to your tent, then."

"Maybe push them in Bellamy's direction instead. I'm sure he's up for a good fight, it'll probably convince him not to feel guilty about that radio."

"He made a bad decision." The teenager shifted against the tree and shook her head. "We all make...really bad decisions sometimes. In Bellamy's case, most of the time, but one day he'll learn to stop making those bad choices."

"Sounds to me like you're putting your faith in the wrong person," Finn confessed without sugar-coating it for her. Alessia, instead of being offended, started to laugh.

"Oh, Finn, I don't have faith. I'm the daughter of Marcus Kane; and the all-mighty Marcus Kane is too good to believe in faith." She paused and shrugged. "I'm with Clarke...ninety-nine percent of the time, anyways. Just because I haven't explicitly yelled at Bellamy for his poor life choices doesn't mean I'm on his side."

Finn made a disapproving noise under his breath. "Well...you _have _been known to be the first to explicitly yell at Bellamy for those poor life choices, though. So why haven't you?"

_Because he kissed me and I kissed him back, _she wanted to say, but knew that telling Finn...even admitting it aloud to anyone, really, would not do her any good. So instead, she didn't respond to his question and just jumped up from their position at the tree. Alessia looked down at Finn with a sigh as she brushed her hands off on her pants.

"You want my advice about Clarke and your girlfriend? Talk to them. _Both_ of them. Can't make a decision if you don't know who you're deciding between."

She left Finn at her spot, deciding it would be best to return back to camp before anyone noticed she was gone.

* * *

Bellamy practically tore up the entire camp trying to find his sister, who had gone AWOL on him without a word to anyone else. He carried a torch through their walls and opened the flaps of every single tent he found, regardless of whether or not Octavia would ever set foot inside of it. Unintentionally, he came around to Clarke and Alessia's tent, where only a blonde was sitting alone in the dark without a word, still awake as opposed to the rest of the delinquents. He bent down to peer inside.

"Where's Robin Hood?" Bellamy asked.

Clarke shrugged. "I don't know. She's not with you?"

"Why would she be with me?" He almost sounded disgusted at the question, but Clarke climbed out of her tent with a distasteful look in her eye towards her co-leader as he moved on and commented, "Surprised you're still up."

"Yeah. Knowing that hundreds of people might be dying on the Ark makes it pretty hard to sleep."

He didn't have time for this. "Raven's flares will work."

"Her radio would've worked better."

Bellamy was silent for a long time, staring into the eyes of the disappointed blonde in front of him but then swallowed, moving on. "Have you seen Octavia?"

She raised her eyebrows. "No...I mean, it's Octavia. She's probably...chasing butterflies—"

"Clarke, I've checked the camp," Bellamy cut her off. "She's not here."

Seeing the genuinely worried look upon Bellamy's face, Clarke eventually nodded and sighed. "Okay. I'll help you find her." They moved out from beside the tent and began to walk. "Let's check again. You go to the drop ship. I'll check the rest of the tents and see if I can find Alessia while I'm at it."

"You think they took her, too?"

"First of all, we don't know for sure what happened to your sister," Clarke said reasonably as they moved forward together. She let out a deep breath. "Second of all...I have no idea."

Bellamy was quiet, but at last, nodded at her appreciatively. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," she said flatly. "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for Octavia."

"Doing what for Octavia?" a voice asked, and Bellamy and Clarke turned to see Alessia walking up to Clarke's side with a glass of water in her hand as an excuse for her midnight stroll. She looked at Clarke and held up the metal cup made from the drop ship. "Sorry. Needed a drink."

"My sister's missing," Bellamy told her. "Can you help find her?"

"Octavia?" Alessia scoffed. "I mean, I know where the butterfly forest is if you want me to show you—"

"Bellamy thinks there's something wrong," Clarke interrupted, though she'd originally had the same thought. After a while, Alessia looked between Clarke and Bellamy and nodded.

"Okay. Sure, where do you want me to look?"

"Go with Bellamy to the drop ship, I've got the tents." Before Alessia could object, Clarke had already taken off in another direction and left Bellamy and Alessia in the dust. But unlike the rest of her juvenile peers, she had reasonable self-control.

They began to walk towards their large central structure, where she asked him after clearing her throat, "Um...when was the last time anyone saw her?"

Bellamy shook his head. "I-I don't know, but the last time I saw her, we were in the woods after I took off for the pod. She got mad and turned around to head back."

Alessia paused. "Because...you stole the radio?"

"No, not because I stole the radio, Kane, but because I told her what I did to Jaha. Not that it's any of your business." Bellamy paused and mumbled, "And if you have something to say, just come out and say it already."

"I...don't know what you're talking about," she lied with a shrug. "I don't have anything to say, just wanted the full story...that's all."

He stopped in front of the drop ship door, looking at her with shock, thinking that somehow, someway, she and Clarke had traded places overnight and he hadn't known. However, she didn't slow down, but walked into the drop ship without stopping for him and took a look around. Most of the kids that slept in the drop ship were out like a light, and none of them even resembled Octavia by far. Alessia climbed all the way to the top hatch to check for the younger Blake, but she found no sight of her. Returning to the bottom level of the ship, she jumped down the latter and turned around at Bellamy, who was looking through every nook and cranny on the bottom floor for his sister.

"She's not here, Blake," Alessia told him plainly. He stopped looking and put his hands on his hips, wiped his forehead off from the sweat that gathered on his brow, and let out a frustrated sigh. She jerked her head out towards the doors. "Come on, let's see if Clarke had better luck."

But she didn't. They searched high and low, but no one had seen or heard from Octavia the entire day and she was nowhere to be found inside of the camp's walls. Finally declaring it important enough to announce to the camp, Clarke let Bellamy wake everyone up from their tents and grab all of the weapons they had stocked.

"Hey, everybody, gather around and grab a weapon," he announced to the delinquents, who all rubbed sleep from their eyes and listened to their leader. "My sister's been out there alone for twelve hours. Arm up. We're not coming back without her."

With blind devotion standing strong, those who followed Bellamy's orders stepped up and grabbed a weapon for protection and offense. Alessia grabbed a man-made axe in the middle of the pile and weighed it in her hand, finding that she was distasteful wielding said weapon. Knives were appreciated, as were any other weapon, but hand-to-hand combat and guns were lethal to her enemies when she opted to use one of the two. Unfortunately, Wells used up all the bullets in Bellamy's gun shooting the jaguar the day they went to look for Jasper. Besides, a gun-free camp probably suited the 100 the best.

"Ready to go brave the outside world to find our fearless leader's sister?" Margot chirped as she walked up to Alessia, eyeing the axe in her friend's hand suspiciously. "You know, the big weapons don't really suit you."

"I know. Here." Alessia pushed the axe to Margot, who took it reluctantly and held the heavy weapon in her thin, frail hand. "Enjoy."

"This is so badass," Margot whispered dreamily. "Even if I am doing this for that dickhead."

"We're not doing it for the dickhead, we're doing it for the dickhead's sister," she countered pointedly as she leaned over and grabbed a torch. "Octavia needs our help, so we're helping."

Margot was about to protest to the look on her friend's face, but before she could, there was a shout from someone else's mouth, tearing everyone away from their conversations.

"Look up there!" Nearly everyone in camp turned upon the request and across the dark sky lightly sprinkled with stars, a corner of the sky started to flood with them, all moving at a fast pace blinking to get attention.

But it wasn't for entertainment, as someone in the crowd stated sadly, "It didn't work. They didn't see the flares."

It was Raven who spoke the statement before, and Bellamy who questioned it. "A meteor shower tells you that?"

"It's not a meteor shower, it's funeral," Clarke spoke with disgust. "Hundreds of bodies being returned to the Earth from the Ark. This is what it looks like from the other side. They didn't get our message."

Clarke turned around to look at Raven, but those who knew who was primarily responsible looked at Bellamy, who shielded his eyes away shamefully knowing that it was his fault. The angered mechanic started to lunge forward.

"This is all because of you!"

"I helped you find the radio," Bellamy argued. Raven nodded spitefully.

"Yeah! After you jacked it from my pod and _trashed _it!"

Finn and Clarke held Raven back from attacking the co-leader of the camp, and Clarke said softly, "Yeah. He knows. Now he has to live with it."

A long silence endured before Bellamy looked up at the sky at the impending funeral and then back at the people of the camp, and calmly, he responded, "All I know is that my sister is out there. And I'm gonna find her. You coming or what?"

"Yeah," Finn responded as Bellamy's eyes glazed over at him since the group needed a tracker. Bellamy looked around at the camp, where the rest of the 100 just stood around idly, waiting for a command.

Doing exactly that, Bellamy shouted, "Well, what are we waiting for? Move out!"

"Is it just me, or are you tired of taking orders, too?" Margot asked with a sour smile as she and Alessia started to move with the crowd out of the camp, following Bellamy. Alessia looked back at Clarke, Raven, and Finn with concern, but decided not to get in the middle of it. Authority was never really her forte, despite the fact that her father itched to run all operations on the Ark.

Distractedly, Alessia turned to Margot. "It's Octavia, okay? She's our friend. It has nothing to do with taking orders from Bellamy Blake. It's also his sister. Kind of gives him a free pass."

"Are you just going to continuously give him free passes from now on?" The two teenagers were quiet, the lighter brunette staring at the darker one with confusion as the accusatory girl snorted. "I mean, come on. It's _astronomically_ strange that you haven't yelled at Bellamy once for taking the radio."

"This isn't about Bellamy. This is about Octavia." Margot shot her a look and stopped, therefore after stopping, Alessia snorted and turned her cheek. "God, I really _do _need new friends."

"Rude," Margot commented as Alessia walked at a brisker pace ahead of the other delinquent and lost her in the crowd.

* * *

The rescue group had been searching for nearly a half hour when someone finally shouted out in front of the group, "Look! Over here!"

Bellamy was the first one to duck under the trees and come next to Mbege, who'd been the one to find something of interest. The leader looked down the steep hill, careful not to overstep, and asked while squinting in the darkness, "What is it?"

"Right there. You see it? Isn't that Octavia's?"

"Rope," Bellamy demanded, reaching behind him without looking. Immediately, rope was handed to him without a thought, and someone tied it to a tree up at the top of the hill. Finn emerged from the crowd, concerned.

"What are you doing?"

"We need the rope to get back up," Bellamy answered him reasonably. He nodded at something in another delinquent's hand. "Flashlight."

Breathing heavily, Bellamy used the rope as leverage to lower himself down through the hill to the tree where an object of Octavia's was on. Through the pitch-black night, the teenagers at the top of the hill saw Bellamy take the object off of the branch and nod.

"It's hers!" he shouted up the hill. "I'm going all the way down!"

As Bellamy continued his persistent operation to save his sister, the rest of the kids up top weren't too keen about going down a steep hill most likely into Grounder territory. The first of the brave souls to go forward with descending the hill, believe it or not, was Jasper. He handed his torch to Finn, who took it reluctantly, and used the rope as a guide, copying Bellamy's exact movements, to slide down the hill without falling. Apprehensions clouded the group, but once Finn and Alessia had also gone down the hill, she stared at the rest of the group with judgement in her eyes.

"What a bunch of wimps," she scoffed and grabbed the rope. Once all the way down the hill, she found Finn, Jasper, and Bellamy huddled around a rock a little ways away from where the rope dropped her. Alessia stood over them on her feet rather than down on the ground, and as the rest of the rescue group came down one by one, Margot walked over to them, immediately spotting blood on the rock that was lit up by Bellamy's flashlight. "Oh my God, is that blood?"

"Octavia's most likely." Alessia nodded.

As she finished the sentence, Bellamy's eyes wandered over to the soil beside the rock and he stated, "Someone else was here."

Finn looked at the footprints in the dirt and noted, "The prints are deeper going that way. He was carrying her."

"If they took her, she's alive," Jasper said hopefully. "Like when they took me."

"Well, if we follow that logic, hopefully there isn't a live panther in our future," Alessia murmured under her breath as the three men stood from their squatting positions and carried on. Finn led the way, following the tracks that he was certain was made by a human, one of the Grounders. His torch shone the brightest, and was like a moving light to the rest of the group behind him, but after a while, that moving light stopped cold. Everyone slammed the brakes on their walking and Bellamy, Finn, Alessia, Margot, and Jasper all studied the entrance of the dark, uneasy forest before them. Through the archway leading into the rest of the forest, a human skeleton was turned on its side and strung up for intruders to see and beware.

"I don't speak Grounder, but I'm pretty sure this means 'Keep Out'," Finn admitted quietly to Bellamy beside him. The rest of the group behind them all murmured exclamations of fear and promises of abandonment, thinking of themselves rather than one of their own. Alessia sighed.

"Any chance you want to give me that axe back?" she asked Margot nervously, sharing a glance with the petite brunette. Margot shook her head tightly.

"Not a one."

"Right." Alessia frowned, swallowing thickly and turning back to face the forest. She knew Bellamy wasn't going to call the rescue mission off; what brother would do that to his own sister?

"Go back if you want," Bellamy told the rest of the group behind him. "My sister, my responsibility."

He headed forward with just the slightest hesitation and fear, which was to be understood considering the circumstance. Few members within the crowd actually turned on their heel, but Jasper turned to his friends and murmured softly, "I'd walk into hell to find her."

Finn walked with him, accompanied by Alessia and Margot trailing along with a few others loyal enough to Bellamy Blake.

"I think we just did."

* * *

They had been searching all night, high and low, moving forward in the Grounder forest cautiously, but also recklessly. Their main focus, of course, was not to fight, it was to procure Octavia and bring her back to the camp safely. Dawn broke out over the horizon and lit the forest up, but after a few hours of morning, Finn eventually sighed, exasperated.

"I got nothing. We lost the trail," he confessed.

"Keep looking," Bellamy insisted, moving forward. Finn obliged, but after a moment to think, he eventually spoke out.

"Wandering around aimlessly isn't the way to find your sister, we should backtrack—"

"I'm not going back!"

"Hey!" someone shouted out, and everyone turned around to see Roma, one of the girls Alessia later learned had been coming out of Bellamy's tent early in the morning when everyone had spotted the pod in the sky, looking around worriedly. "Where's John?"

Jasper's voice was soft, quiet, and full of terror. "I just saw him a second ago..."

"Did he go back?" Alessia suggested. No one answered her, but Bellamy just gave a command simply.

"Spread out. He could've have gotten that far."

But before anyone could even move one inch forward in the directions that Bellamy wanted them to go, there was a loud _thud_ behind them, and Roma turned around with a gasp as everyone did the same, sharp and surprised. Mbege was lying on the ground, his body limp and heavy with blood beginning to crust around his throat from the incision that was made across his throat. Blood soaked the top of his shirt and his eyes were wide open, the horror still in his pupils.

Finn rushed over with Bellamy at his tail. He looked up with wild eyes. "They use the trees."

"These people are animals," Margot gasped as she looked over her shoulder with the axe clenched tightly in her hand.

Diggs, one of the other ones loyal to Bellamy's militia, said shakingly as everyone looked over their shoulders and above their heads with fear, "We shouldn't have crossed the boundary."

"Now can we go back?" Roma pushed.

"There," Jasper pointed out with his weapon. Alessia reached inside of her boot and grabbed her hidden knife, making sure to clench it tightly in her fist just in case she was caught off guard. "Right there. Right there."

Diggs switched positions and everyone looked around them at the Grounders surrounding them, almost full circle, not including the ones they couldn't see in the trees. Diggs, spotting a figure in the distance, breathed out, "Another one."

Alessia swallowed. "We're surrounded."

"We should run," Finn suggested.

It was more of a request or a demand, and he took off on his feet with Bellamy supporting his decision right then and there. Every single one of them broke out into a sprint in the direction they believed to be escaping the Grounders. The figures in the distance chased them so fast there was no room for any of them to slow down. Alessia had never been all that good at running, though she'd never had much of a use for it until Earth. But though she was sure her legs were carrying her as fast as she would go, she was afraid that it wouldn't be enough. Bellamy and Finn were just a few feet in front of her, running at the same pace, but when Alessia looked behind her for the rest of the group, she could see Margot and Jasper falling behind.

"Margot! Jasper! Come on!"

"They don't train you for this in Mecha Station!" Margot shrieked.

"I can't run much longer!" shouted Jasper.

"I'm not stopping for him!" Diggs refused as he picked up the pace, no matter how hard it was to run already. Suddenly, Bellamy slowed down, and therefore, Alessia bumped right into him. She was forced to come to the stop and shoved him forward.

"Messiah, what the hell?"

"I'm sick of running, Robin Hood," Bellamy growled. Finn turned back around, stopping Bellamy from moving in the wrong direction and moving in the right one instead.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"They know where she is," the protective brother snapped. Seeing Bellamy stop, all of the rest of them came to a slow except for Diggs, who still kept running. Roma, seeing a Grounder coming right at her, began to pick up the pace again.

As Roma ran, she screamed, "Diggs! Where are you?"

"Roma!" The response came from Diggs. Seeing Roma take off, the diminished group was forced to follow her through the chaos. After a few seconds, Alessia, Jasper, Margot, Finn, Bellamy, and another teenager, Monroe, came to a stop to face Diggs with a look of horror in his eyes and wet blood running down his chin.

Panting, Jasper realized, "They're leading us here. It's the only direction we could run in."

"What, like they're trying to pick us off?" Margot breathed, her hands on her hips as she paced back and forth trying to get her breath back. Finn looked around at the emptiness of the forest and shook his head.

"Where'd they go?" he asked, noticing the lack of Grounders. Bellamy looked in the direction they'd seen Roma run off to and put the two situations together immediately.

"After Roma."

Jasper, Monroe, Bellamy, and Finn all took after Roma, and as Alessia moved to go with them, she realized that Margot was still behind her, panting and pacing and breathing too heavily. She turned around and walked over to the smaller brunette.

"Hey! Come on, we need to go with them!"

"Alessia, I can't breathe," Margot panted, barely able to get the words out. She doubled over and shook her head. "I...I can't breathe, it's like...it's like the running, I just..."

"Shit, Margot, you have to _move_! We're sitting ducks out here!" In an attempt to get them out of one spot in case the Grounders came after them, Alessia grabbed her friend's arm and slung it over her shoulder to help Margot move. It was some sort of breathing complication, she knew that much from all the time she'd spent with Clarke and her mother. She'd also, like the rest of the students on the Ark, studied previous medical problems that related to Earth—and at the looks of it, it was probably an asthma attack or a panic attack. Honestly, it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting them to move.

But even though she'd managed to get Margot to get to a faster pace than a walk, they were far from safe. Out of nowhere, from the downward angle from above a tree, Alessia watched as an arrow launched at them and she tried to pull them out of the way before it could touch either her or Margot. They broke apart, Margot landing to one side and Alessia to another. There was a loud yelp, and once Alessia scrambled onto her elbows she saw that it was Margot lying on the soiled ground looking down at her leg. There was an arrow straight through it, blood seeping out from the wound. Alessia's eyes widened, but before she could react, the sound of another arrow launching was distinct in her ears, and she looked up to find it headed right at her. With quick movements, she scurried out of the way so that the arrow barely missed her feet and she got up onto her feet. The Grounder launching arrows from the trees descended from the branch where it was stationed and loaded another arrow pointed right at her. Margot was already writhing in pain, and she was next.

"Oh, _shit_," Alessia complained as the arrow launched again and she ducked out of the way just in time for it to pass her head and shoot at the trees.

The second she ducked, she lunged at the opposing Grounder dressed in strange attire, but it wasn't like she even noticed. She managed to knock the bow out of the Grounder's hand and tackle her opponent to the floor, but it was hardly a cakewalk from there. The Grounder retaliated with more force than she ever imagined, punching harder than she'd ever been punched before. She struggled against the strength of her opponent covered in chalk, and she'd barely even noticed the gender of the champion she was going up against. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that somehow, the Grounder ended up on his or her feet and had kicked her in her side. Alessia felt sharp pain, but it hardly slowed her down. The Grounder moved for the bow, but Alessia used her foot to trip her opponent and get up onto her feet in a flash. The Grounder attempted to get back up as well, but Alessia already had enough time to perform the exact combination of movements her father had always taught her. She grabbed the Grounder's arm, twisted it upwards as hard as she could possibly manage and broke one of the bones, earning a cry. The knife in her hand slashed down and the next thing she knew, the Grounder fell forward flat on _her _face, it seemed, and Alessia stood over, a bloody knife in her hand while she panted heavily.

Margot looked up at Alessia over her feet. "Yep. Marcus Kane's daughter all right." Her head fell back onto the ground and she grunted while clutching her leg, "Ow."

"Come on." Alessia rushed over to her friend and pulled her onto her feet, despite the sharp arrow in Margot's leg. Margot limped, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stay in once place after what had just happened. "We need to catch up with the others. Can you make it?"

"I sure as hell can try."

"Good." Alessia took off in a slow sprint, trying to keep Margot at her pace. It wasn't hard to follow the four tracks from Bellamy, Finn, Jasper, and Monroe, and eventually, the two found the end of the trail where Bellamy was standing by a tree, overseeing Roma's dead body speared to a tree, Finn and Monroe standing around cautiously, and Jasper shaking with anger. Finn turned and widened his eyes at Alessia and Margot.

"What the hell happened?"

"Fucking Grounders," Margot hissed angrily. "They came out of nowhere. Robin Hood here _slayed_ one of them like nobody's business."

Alessia scoffed. "And the irony of it was that she got hit with an arrow. What are the odds?" She let Monroe take Margot off her hands so that she was useful. All of a sudden, there was a question.

"You okay?" Bellamy asked, his voice scratchy. She turned at him and nodded.

"Fine. Knife's a little bloody and I might've cracked a rib but other than that, I'm good." She looked at Roma's dead body. "Doesn't look like it worked out so well for her, though."

"They can kill us whenever they want," Finn whispered, exasperated. Alessia opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly, there was a loud, obnoxious shout from behind her.

"Then they should _get it over with_!" Jasper screamed loudly, attracting unnecessary attention to them. Alessia's eyes widened, as did the rest of the group's, and Finn and Alessia rushed over to him immediately. "_Come on! We know you're out there..!" _

"Jasper! Stop!" Finn demanded.

"Shut your goddamn mouth, Jasper, before I do it the hell for you!" Alessia growled, not feeling up to fighting another Grounder like before.

"They're coming!" Monroe announced over Jasper's screams, seeing the black figures run through the bushes towards them. The group huddled in a circle, ready to fight knowing that they were outnumbered and screwed, but right when the Grounders were about to attack them, a horn sounded, blasting through the forest. Like a dog to a command, the Grounders seemed to listen intently for a moment and then they turned on their heel, taking off in the other direction and leaving them standing in the middle of the clearing. The horn sounded again.

"They're leaving," said Bellamy, confused as the rest of them.

"The horn," Jasper whispered. "What does it mean?"

"Acid fog." Finn reached in his bag and grabbed a tent covering, unfolding it quickly. Monroe looked up at him.

"We have to run."

Finn shook his head. "There's no time." He jerked the tent and laid it out on the ground. There wasn't any more time to set the tent up, so instead he looked at the rest of them and gestured to the blanket-like tent. "Come on! Everyone get under. _Now_."

Without wasting time, each of the six got under the tent and formed a single file line lying down underneath the covering to protect themselves from the acid fog. Margot was allowed on her side, the side where she had not been shot, of course. After a moment or two of silence in the confined space underneath the tent covering, she sighed.

"I just want everyone to know how uncomfortable this is for me right now." She paused. "You know, shot in the leg and everything."

"Did you really crack a rib or were you exaggerating?" Bellamy asked Alessia, who was lying on her stomach next to him. There was limited light inside of the tent, so she could see him faintly when she moved her eyes and shrugged.

"I'm not exactly sure. Hurt like a bitch though," she mumbled. Bellamy frowned. "Relax, Clarke can check it out when we get back."

"You can't be injured and fight Grounders," he reminded her.

Alessia didn't know where it came from, but all of a sudden, she just blurted out quietly with a soft groan, "God, just _shut up, _Bellamy."

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was treating her like an eight-year-old girl who didn't know how to take care of herself. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he'd kissed her the other day and she didn't know how to deal with it. Maybe she just had so much anger built up inside of him for the radio that she couldn't help herself, but when she said the words so harshly, there was no taking them back. The rest of the group inside of the tent were all silent upon hearing the harsh exclamation, but no one else said anything until Jasper finally spoke, but not about what had happened.

He said quietly, "How long are we supposed to wait?"

"Will this even work?" Monroe whispered.

"We'll find out," Finn responded. After a moment, Bellamy's grouchy voice was in Alessia's ear again, but this time, it wasn't directed towards her.

"No, we won't." He lifted the tent so the sunlight came through and he stepped outside, where the air was clear. He announced to the rest of them, "There's no fog."

"Maybe it was a false alarm," Finn suggested, confused. Bellamy, however, didn't pay any mind to the acid fog when he spotted a Grounder walking amongst the trees.

"They're coming back!" he said anxiously.

"I think he's alone," Jasper admitted.

"Now can we run?" Monroe prompted.

"He doesn't see us." Bellamy paused and thought for a moment. "I'm going after him."

Finn was the one who said the next few words, thinking what everyone else already had running through their minds the second Bellamy said the words. "And what? Kill him?"

"No. Catch him. Make him tell me where Octavia is. Then kill him."

"How do we know he's not leading us into another trap?" Jasper whispered.

"We don't," Finn responded, following Bellamy's pursuit. Alessia sighed.

"Great. Awesome plan guys, just _awesome_." But nevertheless, she followed right behind Finn, being trailed by Jasper, Margot, and Monroe as well, even though the plan—half-baked at best—was probably bound to fail.

The Grounder never did notice that the six of them had followed him through the forest; he seemed more preoccupied with something else than noticing his surroundings. The six moved in stealth, with exception to Margot who was all over the place, and therefore Bellamy made her and Monroe stay at the front of the trap door they had come to so that they could keep watch and not make unnecessary sounds while inside. They'd seen the Grounder go inside of the trap door, underneath the ground, but it was only one of them and with four against one, it was a surefire way to win. Still keeping the safe time distance, Bellamy, Finn, Jasper, and Alessia hopped down the trap door and into the dark, almost pitch-black cave.

They hadn't walked more than ten or fifteen steps before they finally came to the opening of the cave, and sitting on the floor was a prisoner hastily picking at a lock and the Grounder they had followed in knocked unconscious on the floor. The prisoner turned around, and as it turned out, they had more luck than they'd thought.

"Bellamy?" Octavia breathed as she saw her brother standing just a few feet away from her. Bellamy's eyes flooded with relief.

"Octavia!" He rushed forward and dropped to his knees beside her, looking at the chains that kept her hands bound to the rock wall. She pointed to the dirt floor.

"Get the key," she demanded, and Bellamy dug his hand through the soil until he picked up the key with excess dirt and quickly unlocked her chains. Once they were off, Octavia launched forward into her brother's arms.

"It's okay," Bellamy assured softly. "You're okay."

Octavia and Bellamy sprung to their feet, where Octavia looked back at Finn, Jasper, and Alessia with a big, relieved smile. "How did you find me?"

She ran forward and hugged Jasper, who responded with a laugh, "I followed him."

"We should go," she told the rest of them. "Now. Before he wakes up."

"He's not gonna wake up," Bellamy growled. Octavia protested immediately.

"Bellamy, stop! He didn't hurt me. Let's just go." She tried to prevent him from taking the stick in his hand to the unconscious Grounder's body, but he was too intent on getting revenge.

"They started this." He looked down at Finn, who had dropped to his knees and looked at the Grounder. "Finn. Move!"

"Foghorn," Finn whispered, dazed, as he looked at the horn on the Grounder's belt in realization. But before anyone could even get another syllable out, the Grounder on the floor moved fast, stabbing Finn with his knife when the teenager was taken by surprise. Bellamy moved forward with the pointed stick, but the Grounder somehow had the upper hand and pointed the weapon right at Bellamy's throat.

"Stop! That's my brother!" Octavia shouted.

Bellamy grasped the end of the weapon he had tried to yield against the Grounder, struggling to keep it away from his skin, but there was suddenly a loud noise. The Grounder dropped to the ground beside Bellamy and above him, Alessia stood with a stick in her hand, and she dropped it after a while with a sigh.

"Broken rib, no broken rib." She looked down at Bellamy. "That's twice today I saved someone's ass. Come on."

She held out a hand for him to take, and Bellamy grabbed it while she helped him to his feet. But Jasper and Octavia gathered around Finn, who was gasping for air with the knife lodged in the left side of his stomach. Jasper reached for the blade, but both Alessia and Bellamy protested.

"No!" They shouted at the same time, stilling Jasper's hand. Alessia swallowed and relaxed, realizing Bellamy had this one. He shook his head at Jasper. "Don't take it out. We need to get him back to Clarke."

"Then let's go," Jasper said, his voice shaking. Bellamy reached forward and grabbed Finn into his arms, being the only one strong enough to carry him out.

* * *

"Clarke!" Jasper shouted as the 100 opened the doors to the camp for them seeing that it was Bellamy and the rest of the diminished group. "Where's Clarke? Get Clarke now!"

Upon immediate arrival, the blonde came rushing out of her tent running over to the entrance. "Hey. I'm here, what's up?" She looked at Margot, who was clutching her thigh beside Jasper. "What? Is that an arrow? God, let me clean that up for you."

Margot laughed bitterly. "Yeah I think it can wait, Clarke."

This earned a confused look on Clarke's face, but when Bellamy came in last, carrying Finn's injured body through their gate, it all made sense. A look of absolute horror crossed Clarke's features as she breathed out, "Finn! Finn? Oh my God! Oh my God!"

"Oh, God," Raven whispered behind them, seeing her dying boyfriend in Bellamy's arms. Clarke put her fingers at Finn's pulse and checked for one promptly.

"He's alive," she announced thankfully. Jasper walked over to her.

"Bellamy wouldn't let me take the knife out."

"No, that was a good call," Clarke rushed out. "Get him in the drop ship. Now! Go!"

Bellamy and a few of his men took Finn's body over to the drop ship where afterwards Raven approached the blonde. Speaking quickly, she asked, "Clarke...can you save him?"

"No. Not me. I need my mother," Clarke confessed. "I need to talk to her."

Raven, on the verge of tears, held her forehead heatedly. "T-There's still no radio!"

"Raven, _fix it_! Go!" Raven took off in the other direction at the command, and seeing Octavia in the camp, Clarke immediately asked her if she was okay. Afterwards, still quite unfocused on what had happened to Finn, Clarke looked at Margot. "Okay, come on. I can get that out while we wait for Raven to fix the radio so I can help Finn."

"It's through and through," Alessia told her friend with an arm draped across her own stomach, finally feeling the effect of the kick the Grounder had given her. "She'll be fine, I'm sure of it. No major arteries...I think."

"I'll check and make sure." Clarke noticed Alessia's posture and shook her head. "You okay?"

"I think I broke a rib." Alessia shook her head quietly. "But...but I'll be fine, just save Finn."

"There's nothing we can do right now. I can't help him without my mother." She grabbed both Margot and Alessia's arms. "Come on, get inside."

And neither one of them protested further, hearing the crack of thunder outside. Grey clouds covered the sky, and it wasn't hard to guess: a storm was on its way.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**BrittWitt16: **Okay first of all, can I tell you how much I love your reviews? I laugh all the time reading them, especially this one. Yes, Rude Alessia and Rude Bellamy = Perfection. He does protest too much, which is exactly the point. I'm very glad you were pleased, and yeah, a lot of people are angry with Bellamy for the radio, but what I tried to kind of get at in this chapter is that Alessia kind of wants to avoid him because she's not really feeling up to the whole awkward-aftermath-of-the-kiss talk, which was why she sort of snapped. I think we should go with Bellessia. It's easier lol. Thank you for the review and here's the update!

**Ain'tEasyBeingBreezy: **No more waiting, here's the chapter! I'm still deciding on what's going to happen with Raven/Bellamy in that one episode but there's absolutely no Clarke/Bellamy in this story. I mean, it's not Bellarke, it's Bellamy/OC so that's kind of obvious. But they're still friends. Thanks for reviewing!

**katiesgotagun: **Thank you! Alessia...might tell Margot about the kiss. I'm not sure yet. She and Bellamy WILL talk about the kiss next chapter though. And it'll be awkward. Kind of...eh, not really. Here's your update, thanks for reviewing!

**Momsen-xxxx: **I AGREE #BELLESSIA. THEY DID KISS AND IT WAS AWESOME.

**Marloweee1856: **Thank you so much! I don't plan on ever stopping :) Aw thanks that's so sweet. I kind of feel that way too, Kane doesn't really have much to his character and having a daughter would've been a really nice thing to play with but hey, that's what FanFiction is for. I think it's the next episode where Kane gets super depressed and visits the Eden Tree, right? Well, anyways, yeah he will definitely be showing those true emotions soon. Haha yeah they are pretty good nicknames for them. Well thank you for reviewing! Here's the update and I hope you enjoyed!

**c0llapsing97: **Wow that's a serious compliment! Thank you! That means a whole lot. I am definitely continuing with this story don't you worry. The 100 is my life right now. Haha I think everyone ships Alessia and Bellamy :) Thanks for reviewing!

**Nirvana14: **Thanks! More tension to come, don't you worry!

**hodhod2011danger: **Oh, yeah, they're definitely worse than married couples. And they always will be. Wow I thought the kiss was kind of awkward but I guess I did a good job at it if it was hot ;) Thanks for the review!

**maighdean mhara: **That's really nice to hear! Thank you. Here's the update; hope you enjoyed it!

**PC 608: **Yeah I was kind of thinking how they would have their first kiss and my original idea made me really unhappy because their relationship isn't really a sweet one, it's more of a really intense, angry type so having him kiss her in the middle of a fight was kind of what I realized needed to happen. More will definitely follow, but in the next chapter. Bell had to focus on Octavia for this one...for the most part. Thank you so much for reviewing!

**lupine-lunaris: **Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this one!

**Madmaddi19:** Kane as a dad is so much fun to write and I appreciate how you and a lot of other people like how I've written him because I'm always afraid I'll go out of character :) Thanks for reviewing!

**thenightowl57: **Here's the update! You reviewed right as I was finishing up this chapter so your wish is granted :) Thanks for reviewing!


	7. Contents Under Pressure

**Okay guys, I've got super big news. I got a 97 on my Chemistry test that I took yesterday and I am so happy that I decided to spread the love with everyone! I had this all ready to go and was going to be mean about it and save it until the weekend but thank my Chemistry teacher because she put me in this mood. Hopefully it lasts. Regardless, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Contents Under Pressure**

"Son of a_ bitch_!"

It was Margot's voice ringing sharply through the drop ship as thunder rolled outside and the skies opened up to a heavy downpour of rain. The weather covered her shout, thankfully, but those closest to her were scarred forever. Jasper, Alessia, and Clarke all gathered around Margot's sweat-soaked body as she sat on the floor and Clarke discarded the bloody arrow she had taken out from Margot's leg. The injured girl panted heatedly as Clarke grabbed a makeshift needle and wire made from the drop ship.

"Sorry," Clarke apologized half-heartedly under her breath. "But the good news is, Alessia was right. The arrow was through and through, no major arteries were hit. You'll be fine in a couple days."

"I guess dancing's out of the question?" Margot asked lightly, but the joke wasn't worthy of a smile from anyone around what with the severity of the injuries brought back from the rescue mission. To herself, Margot mumbled, "Tough crowd."

"God, Margot," Jasper snapped unexpectedly, his voice contradictorily soft. "You took an arrow in your leg and you're making jokes?"

She didn't even bat an eye in responding, "What's life without jokes? Dull and uninteresting. I prefer to keep people on their toes."

It didn't take long for Clarke to stitch up the wound, thankfully, and once it was done, she rose to her feet and looked over at Finn, who was lying down flat on a makeshift table that would keep his body in the correct position for surgery when the time came. Alessia could feel a pounding in her ribcage from her own injury, but she decided that they were all better off saving Finn before they decided to worry about her minor injury. There was probably nothing Clarke could do, anyways, besides tell her to rest for a while.

Clarke left Finn's side for a moment to check on those outside braving the weather, trying to get necessities inside of the covered area before the storm really hit. Bellamy and his men had gone out earlier, going back for something that they didn't bother to tell anyone else about. But as the thunder roared and lightning flashed and the wind rushed violently, Alessia could hear the urgent voice of Raven a few feet away from them, her attention focused halfway on the working radio in front of her and halfway on the dying Finn just within her reach.

"Come in, Ark Station! This is Raven Reyes calling Ark Station. Please come in." She waited for a response, but there was none. Her enunciation could not get any clearer, it was simply the matter of whether or not the Ark would hear her pleads. But she had been at it for a while now and there was still nothing but static. "Can anyone hear me?"

"You sure you have the right frequency?" Margot inquired from her spot on the floor.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Raven chided. Alessia looked at Jasper.

"Just...take her up to the second level," Alessia ordered him, and Jasper, with a complying nod, helped Margot to her feet and up to the second level of the drop ship, and though it took a while, they eventually were able to get up without much of a problem.

When Margot was gone, Clarke walked over to Raven's shoulder and said softly, "Raven? You can do this. Okay?"

"Calling Ark Station," Raven continued into the microphone as she swallowed thickly. She looked over and watched as Clarke unwrapped the bandage she'd put around the knife to keep the wound from getting infected, but once Clarke lifted the cotton up, she hissed seeing the blotch by the knife, realizing that if she didn't get it out soon, there wouldn't just be a chance of infection, there would be an infection without hesitation. Avoiding her boyfriend on the cot, she resumed again, "Ark Station, _please _come in. I'm on the ground with The 100. We need you."

On the Ark, Abby Griffin stood in front of the rest of the Council members awaiting the verdict for what she'd done. Before the Culling where 320 of their own were sacrificed, she had announced to the entire Ark what was to come. Therefore, she expected to be floated, but there was only one thought that ran through her mind. Her daughter. Abby and Thelonious had seen the red flares from the Earth and she knew, deep inside of her, that Clarke was still alive.

"Theft of medical supplies, illegal salvaging," Kane listed as he circled the table of Council members, "unauthorized ship launch, pirating the Ark's comm systems. Each of these crimes is punishable by death." He stopped and stared at her. "But that will not be your fate today."

Over the Ark's intercom, there was an audible wavelength to be heard, and one of the men inside the room asked, "What was that?"

Kane ignored it. "Never mind. It was argued, convincingly, that your medical expertise is still required."

Abby looked at Jaha, who no doubt had everything to do with her pardoning. "Thank you."

"It wasn't me," Thelonious admitted. "The Council vote was nearly unanimous. Apparently, Jake's message woke their better angels, as well." With a hard swallow, Abby moved forward towards her seat at the table when Jaha stopped her. "Uh! Not so fast."

With her hand on the edge of the seat, she said slowly, "We need to talk about those flares."

He shook his head. "No. We don't."

"You saw them, too! We can't just ignore what we all know it means."

"We don't know what it means," Kane countered. Without slowing, Abby looked over at him.

"It means that there is someone alive on Earth. It means that our children might still be alive."

The members of the Council all avoided Abby's looks with tired ones of their own, exhausted of hearing her excuses. Kane, with a small, bitter smile, looked up at her over his eyelids. "More false hope. Abby, those flashes could've been anything. Lightning, radiation in the atmosphere..."

"In any case, whatever they were...that's a matter for the Council to discuss. And you are no longer on the Council." Jaha got out of his seat and walked over to the surprised Abby, who turned to face him. He spoke quietly. "Your life has been spared, but you've been stripped of your seat at this table, effective immediately. Your pin."

It wasn't a request, it was a demand. Thelonious held out his hand for the pin on Abby's collar and with a hardened expression, the doctor reached up and unclipped it to put it into her Chancellor's hand. Just as she did so, the static on the Ark's intercom continued, this time a few broken words able to be picked up.

"There it is again," the same man said as all the Council members looked behind them to the speaker. The voice on the intercom became clearer and clearer every passing second.

_"Calling...Ark...Come...Ark Station!" _

"Raven," Abby whispered under her breath as her shoulders straightened and she realized who was on the intercom. She looked at the Chancellor, who wore a great deal of surprise on his features. "She's still alive."

Now Raven's voice was clear and loud. _"Are you there? Please come in." _

Without asking, Abby rushed immediately out of the room and barely even noticed it when Jaha and Kane followed her to the communications room where she spent her time monitoring the wristbands when they had been on. Back on Earth, Raven continued her pursuit.

"Please...calling Ark Station...The 100 are alive. Can anyone hear me?" Raven asked for what felt like the thousandth time. But suddenly, to her surprise, there was a voice that responded to her.

_"This is a restricted station. Who is this? Please identify yourself," _said the man over the radio. Raven straightened immediately realizing she had made contact and she felt the rush of delinquents behind her desperate to know what was going on.

"T-This is Raven Reyes," she answered immediately. "I'm from Mecha Station. I'm transmitting from the ground. The 100 are alive. Please, you ned to get Doctor Abby Griffin. Doctor Abby Griffin _now_."

But there was no need to get Abby. She was already in the communications room as Sinclair, the head of the team, spoke into the radio, "Hang on, Raven, we're trying to boost your signal." He turned around and ordered to the rest of the people behind him. "Get her off the Ark-wide channel. This room only. Copy?"

"Can she hear me?" Abby asked Sinclair, but was never given an answer. Jaha and Kane came trotting in behind.

"Did you confirm the signal's origin?"

Sinclair nodded. "Yes, sir. It's coming from Earth."

Jaha looked from the transmission boards back at Sinclair with a shocked expression, almost the same as Kane's from behind Abby. All three adults had the same things on their mind, Kane less expressive about his. He stared at the radio in silence, his head spinning. He had been wrong...about everything.

"Raven?" Abby rushed out as she talked on the radio. "Are you there?"

There was a long, painful pause in the radio where all Abby heard was static. Her heart was beating through her chest as she waited for the response, and finally, it came, but not from Raven.

_"Mom? Mom, it's me." _

Dr. Griffin knew that voice anywhere. She knew it standing next to her and she knew it over a radio. But nevertheless, more out of amazement than anything else, she breathed out, "Clarke?"

Clarke didn't answer. She stood over the radio and sighed. The group of teenagers behind her didn't help anything, but they dealt with it. "Mom, I need your help. One of our people was stabbed by a Grounder."

Instead of Abby answering, Jaha leaned in on the microphone in the communications room. "Clarke, this is the Chancellor. Are you saying there are survivors on the ground?"

"Yes," Clarke answered without hesitation. "The Earth is survivable. We're not alone." But that wasn't what was important. "Mom, he's dying. The knife's still in his chest."

"Okay..." Abby trailed off and looked up at Sinclair. "Can you patch me through to medical?"

"Of course," Sinclair responded.

While he did so, Jaha leaned over the communications table again and asked, "Clarke...is my son with you?"

Clarke, who had been moving over to Finn, stopped dead in her tracks. She looked up at Alessia, who was standing right next to the radio silently, and the two exchanged a sorrowful glance. Instead of Clarke answering, Alessia cleared her throat.

"No, Chancellor Jaha," Alessia told him quietly, but still loud enough for him to hear. "I'm...I'm so sorry. Wells...Wells is dead."

The communications room suddenly fell silent, and the air felt heavy. Jaha tried to hold himself together, but he could barely hold on for two seconds. Clearing his throat, he turned to Abby.

"Clarke needs you. Patch her in to me when they're finished."

Jaha left hurriedly, which was extremely understandable, and Kane waited just a moment before letting it process who had spoken the grim news on the radio. He stepped forward, tentatively, aware of Dr. Griffin's eyes on him as he bit the inside of his cheek in silence. Abby waited, hoping that he would say something, and eventually, he did.

"Alessia?" Kane asked, his voice wrought with a disguised guilt. On the ground, Alessia knew exactly who was speaking to her. She swallowed thickly, deciding whether or not to answer, but she eventually nodded.

"It's me," she responded.

On the Ark, Abby watched as Kane's hand clenched into a fist and he turned away from the communications machine without a word. Without wasting any more time, Abby sighed and moved on. Clarke could hear her voice brokenly on the radio.

"I'm going to talk you through it, step by step." As if her mother could see her, Clarke nodded, but before Abby could say anything else, the shelter around them shifted, creaking from the wind. Clarke tried to listen intently over the panicked gasps of the teenagers, but the words were inaudible on the radio, not from noise but from frequency static.

"What?" Clarke shouted and looked at Raven. "Raven, what's wrong?"

Panicked, she responded, "I-It's not the radio, it's the storm!"

Abby's voice floated in and out as Raven tried to fix what she could of the device to comply with the outside weather. In the meantime, Clarke tried to get everything prepared, and she watched Octavia as she entered the drop ship with two canisters in her hands. Clarke took a canister when Octavia reached her and opened it to smell inside. Immediately, she gagged and stepped back.

"Monty's moonshine?" Clarke prompted. Octavia shrugged.

"Pretty sure no germ could survive it." The drop ship shook beneath their feet as a roll of thunder sounded ahead. Clarke looked outside with a frustrated sigh.

"Storm's getting worse." She looked up at Monroe, who was loitering around Finn's body. "Monroe, close the doors."

"But we still have people out there."

"Bellamy took a party and didn't tell anyone where he was going," Alessia spoke up, stepping next to Monroe out of the crowd around the radio. "Monty's with him, but Monroe's right. They're not back yet."

Clarke shook her head. "It's all right. They'll find somewhere to ride it out." The blonde turned back to her friend. "Where'd that needle go that I used to stitch Margot up?"

"Right here," another voice announced, and from behind Alessia, Raven appeared, taking Monroe's place as Monroe moved to the doors to close them. Clarke took the needle gratefully.

"Great. I still need something to close the wound."

"There's some wire on the second level. I used it for the tents," Octavia responded. Clarke looked back at her with a nod of approval.

"Let's see it."

"Stay away from the blue wires that run through the ceiling," Raven warned as Octavia moved towards the ladder. "I rigged it to the solar cells in the roof. That means they're hot, you got that?!"

"Yeah, I got that!"

Octavia disappeared towards the ladder, and once she was gone, Raven looked at Clarke seriously. "Tell me you can do this."

Clarke didn't respond, doubting herself more than she cared to. Alessia, seeing the look of distress on Clarke's face, nodded for her. "She can." Raven turned her head to look at Alessia, who was sure of it. Clarke looked at her as well, not so sure of herself as her friend seemed to be. Alessia, however, had logic behind her reasoning. "Clarke, you've seen your mother do this how many times? You can do this. I know you can."

"Hey! They're back!" someone shouted. Everyone turned their heads to see Bellamy walk through the doors.

"Bellamy!" Octavia noted as she climbed down to see her brother enter. Behind him, two of his men dropped the Grounder who attacked Finn onto the ground, where the Grounder was seen to be blindfolded and tied up. Octavia's face fell angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's time to get some answers."

"Oh, you mean revenge?"

"I mean intel," Bellamy barked and turned around. "Get him upstairs."

"Bellamy, she's right," Clarke intervened as she stepped forward in front of him. Before she could continue, the radio sounded behind her, earning Bellamy's attention as he listened to Clarke's mother's voice asking for her response. Ignoring it for a moment, Clarke turned back at him. "Look, this is not who we are."

_"Clarke?" _Abby pushed over the radio urgently. Bellamy looked at Clarke, then over at Octavia, and finally shook his head.

"It is now."

And she was left with no choice but to watch him as he had his men carry the prisoner up the ladder to the third level hatch. She didn't have time to argue with him with Finn's life at stake, so Clarke let him be and turned back to the radio.

* * *

"The blade is at a sharp upward angle between his sixth and seventh ribs," Clarke explained as she looked down at Finn's body with a shaking breath.

_"Okay. How deep?" _

"Well, I can't tell how deep it goes."

There was a slight hesitation, but eventually, Clarke's mother responded, _"That's all right. Just don't remove the knife yet." _

Beside Finn's body, Clarke watched as Raven paced. There was a small crowd behind her, but the crowd spectating her procedure seemed to be harmless, as was Alessia standing over by the radio watching Clarke and Finn, but Raven was too fidgety for her own good. Knowing she couldn't kick Raven out, Clarke handed the canister of Monty's moonshine to her gently.

"Hey, here. Sterilize your hands." She looked behind at Alessia. "You, too."

"You want me to help?" Alessia asked, surprised. Clarke shrugged. "It's just, medical's never really been my thing."

"Well it is today." Alessia watched as Raven took the canister from Clarke, drank a gulp from inside, and then poured some on her hands. Turning around, Raven doused Alessia's hands in the liquid as well, and Alessia made sure to keep her hands out and away from everything to make sure they didn't get dirty again.

Over the radio, Abby asked, _"Clarke, do you see any fluid?" _

She was about to respond when behind her, a fight broke out in the middle of the floor. One guy pushed another, but it didn't really matter who it was or why. Clarke blurted out an expletive and looked towards Alessia.

"Clear the room."

"Hey! There's too much testosterone down here!" Alessia moved towards the fighting men and made sure to keep her hands clear out of the way as she gestured up to the second level. "You two, get up there. The rest of you, follow them._ Don't _make me ask twice!"

As she made everyone get upstairs, Clarke spoke loudly at the radio. "He feels a little warm..."

_"That's all right. Fever sometimes accompanies a trauma. Clarke, I need you to tell me if there's any fluid leaking from the wound," _Abby pressed.

Without touching the knife, Clarke looked around it uncertainly. "Uh...no."

Under her breath, the radio picked up Abby's sigh of relief. _"Pleural membrane's intact. That's good! That's actually really good! He got lucky." _

Raven smiled and looked down at Finn quietly, breathing, "Hear that? You're lucky."

Alessia watched as Clarke shifted uncomfortably, unable to hide her discomfort from her friend who was visibly aware of it. Clarke knew it, too, her gaze catching that of Alessia's on the other side of the table, and things went strangely quiet for a while. The teenagers waited for the next instruction, but it felt like hours before it came.

_"Okay, Clarke, firm grip on the knife," _Abby directed with a soft yet urgent edge to her voice. _"You're gonna need to angle it upward and to the left_—_very slightly to the left." _

"How slightly?"

_"3 mil_—_Clarke? 3 mil...me..." _

Clarke, with a confused look on her face, said calmly, "Wait, what was that? You dropped out."

_"Clarke? 3 millimeters! Got it?" _

"Yeah." Clarke took in a deep breath. "Okay. I got it." She looked down at Finn's body with fear consuming her every thought. The guy she slept with and had complicated, messy, yet undeniable feelings for could potentially live or potentially die right underneath her fingertips. "Here goes."

_"Steady hand, Clarke. You've assisted me on trickier procedures than this. And once that knife is out, the hard part is over." _

Raven and Clarke exchanged a glance across the table right when the drop ship shook, making a crumbling noise as it did so. The hardest part might be over after the knife was out, but getting the knife out was going to be harder than imagined with the storm over their heads. The wind was too strong, the rain too heavy...

"All right." Clarke breathed calmly, but she was anything but. "Extracting now."

"You can do this, Clarke," Alessia encouraged as she stood over Finn's left shoulder beside Clarke. Clarke looked up at her with a thankful nod and Alessia smiled. "It's kind of like that game we used to play as kids. 'Operation'? You always kicked ass at it."

A soft smile overcame Clarke's lips, and she was thankful for it. As stressed as she was, it was nice to know that someone believed in her—someone other than her mom, of course, who was nothing but a traitor. Without any more talking, Clarke reached forward and took the handle of the knife in her palm as the drop ship shook again. Raven looked over at Finn and realized something even more frightening than the ground shaking beneath their feet.

"He's waking up!" Raven shouted.

"Hold him still," Clarke commanded Raven and Alessia, who both clasped their hands on Finn's shoulders to keep him from moving. But Finn inevitably wiggled against the knife inside of him, a natural human reaction. Clarke spoke gently and loudly to him. "Finn! I need to get the knife out of you, okay?"

His voice was strained and painful. "Good plan."

"Finn, you can't move! You got it?" He nodded. "Okay. Here it goes."

_"Nice and slow, Clarke..." _

"Finn, do not move. Almost got it," Clarke barked at him, her voice managing to still stay clam in such a tense situation. Finn's teeth gritted together as Clarke's voice was soft in his ears. "Hold still!"

But right as the knife was inches away from being out of Finn's abdomen, the drop ship shook violently, causing everyone to fall on their butts on the drop ship floor. Clarke toppled over, Finn fell off his table, Alessia slammed back into the wall and Raven nearly went head-first into the radio. Sounds of teenagers screams rang through the drop ship as everyone panicked over the shake. Abby's voice was concerned over the radio, but no one answered her. Clarke stood up from the ground, the knife firmly in her hand, and looked over at Finn worriedly. When she saw Finn tilt his head and look up at her, she felt a flood of relief overcome her.

"It's out," Raven answered Abby's persistent calls over the radio. "She did it."

"Ow." Alessia pulled herself up from the floor, rubbing her head that had banged on the wall from the shake. It didn't help that her ribs hurt even worse with the violent blow nature had sprung on them. She barely even noticed Raven's smiling face as it fell watching Clarke and Finn stare longingly—lovingly—at each other from a few feet away, both thankful that he was alive.

Once Clarke was in the clear and it was smoother sailing to stitch up the wound after the knife was gone, Alessia decided that her services were no longer needed and she was starting to feel out of the loop standing on the first level while she knew what was going on in the third. Once Clarke let her go, she climbed up to the third floor of the drop ship and opened the hatch, expecting to fight a lock but surprisingly able to open it without offense. Huddled by the Grounder prisoner was Bellamy and the men he had help him with capturing the Grounder she'd knocked unconscious when he was attacking Bellamy, but that didn't mean she agreed with what was going on. A part of her—a large part—wanted to let Bellamy do whatever the hell he wanted, but another part her knew she would never be able to do that.

And maybe she didn't have to fight a lock, but once she was up on the third level, one of Bellamy's men stood in front of her blockading her way. She stopped, by force, and stared at the serious militia member waiting for her to turn around and leave. Boy, did he have another thing coming to him.

"It'd be wise to step aside," Alessia told the boy, whose name she was unaware of, quietly with a deadly edge. "I'm not in the best mood...and we all know what happens when I'm not in the best mood."

"It's okay," Bellamy spoke behind him. "Let her through."

"Now there's a shocker," Alessia voiced as she stepped around the delinquent stopping her and came face-to-face with Bellamy. "You're actually willing to let me have an opinion on this one." She looked next to him and ran her eyes along the dark-skinned Grounder whom she recognized very faintly, observing his helpless position and the blood coating his flawed skin. She turned back to Bellamy. "Well you've sure done it now."

Bellamy grabbed her arm and pushed her with him away from the rest of his men. "Who cares? How's Finn?"

"Do I look like a doctor to you?"

"Don't make me get the Princess. Answer me," Bellamy told her, dissatisfied. Alessia snatched her arm back to her side.

"Finn will live, no thanks to you. We might've saved him now but who will save him when the Grounders come for us?" she propositioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who will save the rest of us because of your _stupid _mistake? The Grounders will realize that he's missing and they'll know exactly who to look for."

"No one saw us take him. He was chained up in that cave the entire time and thanks to the storm, we didn't see a soul on the way back," the leader explained. Alessia shook her head.

"I don't care if someone saw you. It doesn't take much to figure out that we were the ones who took him and they'll storm our camp, Bellamy. They'll find it and they'll storm it." She let out a soft, frustrated sigh. "How could you be so _stupid_?"

"I'm stupid?" Bellamy repeated with a scoff and she watched him as he brought up a book in his hand and untied the leather-bound cover. "In case you missed it, his people are already killing us." Alessia looked down at the page he opened to and noted the drawing of the drop ship in their camp next to a page full of tally marks, ten of them with x's in the center. She didn't know what to make of it, but Bellamy spelled it out for her before she could even think. "How many more of our people need to die before you and Clarke realize that we're fighting a war?"

"God damn it, Blake!" She closed the journal frustratedly and shoved it to him right in his chest, causing him to reach up and grab it to take it back before it fell. "We are not the Ark. We are not soldiers!"

"It's about time we started acting like it," he suggested in a hard tone. She stared at him, her eyes burning into his with a fury that he'd seen once or twice cross her pupils. Her next words, spoken softly and quietly, were laced with hatred and venom.

"Well, congrats, Bellamy," she said as she turned, and his face fell slightly hearing her call him by his real name, which only meant one thing—she was far too pissed to be stopped. "How does it feel to be commanding officer?"

It was a rhetorical question, obviously, so without another word, hearing faintly the empty protest from Bellamy, Alessia walked over to the hatch door and climbed down the ladder, not bothering to look back.

* * *

He hadn't been to Section 17 since that day—the day of the Culling. Workers floated in and out of the room, leaving and entering with solemn faces as they came to remember those they'd lost. Murmurs occurred inevitably as Marcus walked forward towards the Eden Tree his mother had no doubt transferred because of the tragedy that _he _was responsibly for. Among a list of names and personal items from the deceased, the tree stood tall and full of life, waiting for a home on Earth. The Eden Tree was a symbol of all Kane had forgotten—the innocent years of his youth when he had cared for other people and the innocence of his daughter, his living daughter, who he had forbidden to visit the Eden Tree after her eighth birthday. But not only did the Eden Tree haunt him, the trinkets beside them did as well, only feeding to the guilt that festered inside.

"Marcus," Kane turned his head to see his mother approach his side and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "you shouldn't be here."

"You're wrong, Mom," he said quietly. "This is exactly where I should be."

"You've got some balls coming here!" Kane and Vera turned around to face Cuyler Ridley, one of the workers who had lost his wife and was actively protesting the government on a daily basis since he did not concur with Jaha's administration, come from the crowd to face Marcus with a locked jaw. Vera stepped forward to prevent one of her fellow acquaintances from insulting her son, but Kane pulled her back and told her not to. Cuyler continued, his eyes bloodshot from the stale tears in his ducts, "You're standing where my wife took her last breath."

"I'm so..." Kane trailed off, shaking his head. "I'm so very sorry."

"Tell me she didn't die for nothing."

"If I did...I'd be lying."

"Then it's true?" Ridley inquired with disgust in his tone. "You knew those kids were on the ground?"

"Yes."

"That the Earth is survivable?"

"No."

"You were supposed to protect us!" a woman from the crowd scolded him just before Cuyler rammed into Kane, pushing him back towards the Eden Tree and memorial site to those they lost in the Culling.

Marcus fell to the ground, stunned, as Cuyler shouted out, "Say something!"

"Enough! Stand back!" Jaha's voice rang through Section 17 as guards entered and pushed the workers back and away from the Council member. Thelonious emerged from the crowd with his eyes locked on Kane ready to fight whoever came at either one of them, but Kane stood up from the ground with an angry look.

"I don't need you to defend me," he warned.

"Murderers!" someone from the crowd shouted, pointing at Kane. Jaha looked to his side to see one of the Guards wielding a baton at the crowd and anxiously, Jaha moved forward and struck the Guard's hand down.

"Put that away!" He turned to the crowd. "Don't make this any worse than it already is!"

"We want answers," a woman demanded within the crowd.

From beside Jaha, Ridley hissed, "We want our people back."

Jaha wanted to answer, but what could he say? He couldn't bring their people back. He couldn't rewrite the past. The only thing he could do was give them the truth, and therefore, he said so. "The least we can give you is the truth. Sound the signal for a General Assembly with the station representatives."

Kane, with a confused look on his face, stepped forward. "What are you doing?"

"No more secrets," Jaha snapped back at him and watched as the guards ushered everyone out of the room so that he could talk to Kane alone. Marcus turned back to the Eden Tree and heard the fading chatter behind him until everything was silent and only Jaha's footsteps were getting louder. Marcus didn't say anything, the guilt overcoming every single part of his insides, a million thoughts running though his head. Jaha spoke first. "You've been drinking?"

"Three _hundred _and twenty people." He scoffed. "If I'd waited a day—two days—they'd still be alive."

"You didn't make that decision alone."

"Maybe not," Kane admitted with a small nod. "But I pushed. I was—I was _so _sure! I swore an oath to protect and defend my family—my daughter. I swore that same oath to protect and defend these people. Instead...I killed them." He turned his head, disgusted with himself, and said gently, "I failed _her_."

Marcus didn't know what he expected from the Chancellor. Maybe he'd gotten so used to Abby Griffin coddling him that he didn't expect it when Jaha hissed, "Pull yourself together, Kane. And then get your ass to the mess hall."

* * *

"What's going on up there?" Octavia asked as Alessia dismounted the ladder onto the second floor and walked away from it. "Is the Grounder okay? Did they hurt him?"

"The Grounder is fine," Alessia responded. "At least, I'm pretty sure, anyways. But your brother's still a dick." She paused, looking into Octavia's strangely disagreeing eyes. "No offense or anything."

Octavia shook her head. "He doesn't care about me, anyways. If he did, he would've listened to me when I told him that taking the Grounder was a bad idea."

"Have you met your brother, Octavia? I don't think blood will ever slow him down."

"Alessia, the Grounder saved me," she pressed, trying to prove her point to someone who'd listen. Alessia stared back at the raven-haired girl with her lips in a thin line, processing the information. "You believe that, don't you?"

Before she could answer, Alessia heard the lock clicking from the other side of the hatch and she let out a heavy sigh. Octavia looked up as well, confused but eventually coming to the same conclusion, and Alessia finally responded. "Doesn't look like it matters much now."

Right as she finished the sentence, she and Octavia heard shouting from the first level and Alessia looked down the ladder with concern. Right as she did, Clarke climbed up with the knife from Finn's injury grasped firmly in her hand. Clarke saw Alessia immediately, whereupon Alessia asked, "What the hell is going on down there?"

"Finn was poisoned." She moved up the ladder without hesitation.

"Clarke!" Octavia called. "They locked the hatch."

But it didn't slow her down. The fiery blonde continued up the steps and came to the hatch door where she used her fist to pound on it relentlessly while screaming at Bellamy and whoever else was up there to open the door. Octavia climbed the ladder behind her, and Alessia, though reluctant, turned around with a long-winded, forceful sigh. She didn't _want _to go back up in the hatch, but she knew she had to. The hatch door opened and Clarke climbed a few rungs before she was stopped by Miller, who put his arm in front of her in attempt to blockade her advance into the level. Clarke, however, was not happy with it.

"Get out of my way, Miller. Now!"

Reluctantly, Miller removed his arm and Clarke climbed up, Octavia following just a few paces behind, and Alessia taking her sweet time getting back up the ladder. The second Clarke was up and moving, she walked over to the Grounder and held up the knife.

"What's on this?" she growled.

Behind her, Bellamy arched his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"He poisoned the blade! All this time, he knew Finn was gonna die no matter what we did. What is it?!" she shouted in his face. "Is there an antidote?"

"Clarke, he doesn't understand you," Octavia reasoned with her from a few feet away. Clarke's shallow breathing grew anxious when suddenly Bellamy turned around.

"Vials," he murmured in thought. "It's gotta be here."

Clarke tossed the knife in the corner. "You'd got to be stupid to have a poison around this long without an antidote." But there were too many vials in the box for her to determine which one was the antidote and they were running out of time. Clarke whipped around at the Grounder and yelled, "Which one?"

"Answer the question!" Bellamy snapped harshly. Alessia stood behind them without a word, and beside Clarke, Octavia looked at the Grounder with pleading, apologetic eyes.

"Show us. Please."

"Which one?" Clarke pushed. "Our friend is dying down there and you can stop that!"

The Grounder gave no response, and therefore Bellamy stepped forward tentatively, his heart pounding in his head. "I'll get him to talk."

"Bellamy, no!" Octavia grabbed his arm and pulled him back, but Bellamy whipped his head around so fast that Octavia was forced to drop his arm.

"He wants Finn to die! Why can't you see that?" He turned at Clarke. "Do you want him to live or not?"

Both Blakes looked at Clarke for a decision, and Octavia rushed forward seeing the look of doubt in Clarke's eyes. "Clarke, you even said it yourself—this is not who we are! He was protecting me. He saved my life!"

"We're talking about Finn's life!" Her brother stepped forward angrily. A moment passed, silence encompassing those up in the hatch, until Clarke's final command came.

"Do it."

And despite Octavia's protests, Bellamy moved to the back of the hatch and cut off a seatbelt from the old drop ship seats they had emptied from their shelter for more space. He slung it over his shoulder while Miller and another one of Bellamy's followers tried to restrain Octavia but failed. Clarke walked around to the other side of the hatch, closest to the door, her eyes on the Grounder filled with apologies and sorrow. Bellamy moved over to the Grounder and took his knife to the Grounder's shirt, tearing through it so that the scrap of cloth fell to the ground.

"You're gonna show us the antidote," Bellamy warned, his voice scratchy, "or you're gonna wish you had."

The hatch was dead silent as Bellamy walked around in front of their prisoner and wrapped the end of the seat belt around his hand and left the length of it to the ground. His gaze shifted towards Clarke and watched as she nodded, but he then saw Alessia standing a few feet away from her, closer to the door hatch and further from the light. He remembered what she said, knowing what she meant, and he knew that this wouldn't help it. Everything he was doing, like it or not, was everything that Marcus Kane stood for. And he knew it was exactly what she meant when she looked into his eyes with hatred before.

But Bellamy had no choice. Finn was dying, and therefore he took the seatbelt in his hand and whipped it fast so that it struck against the Grounder's bare chest, creating an open gash. Clarke flinched and Octavia shouted, but Alessia stood watching with minimal drawback. Bellamy looked over at Alessia again, this time finding her gaze to be more discouraging, and his hands shook the second time he tightened his first and whipped their prisoner yet again with a grunt from his own lips.

Alessia couldn't take it anymore. She rushed forward, grabbing the box of antidotes from Clarke's hand, and moved over to Bellamy. She gently moved him back and knelt down on the floor, rolling the antidotes onto the ground in front of the injured prisoner. He looked down at the vials and she looked up at him, the light right in her eyes.

"Come on," she begged, shaking her head. "We don't want to do this. No one wants this. Just tell us which of these is the antidote and save our friend and your life."

"Just tell them," Octavia concurred from behind.

The Grounder's lips were still pressed in a tight line, so Alessia slammed her hand down on the ground and pressed further, "God damn it, tell us! Please! Which one is it?"

"Hey. Alessia...Alessia! Stop." She barely even noticed it as Bellamy put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and helped her up from the floor, but she didn't want to move. If she moved, he would keep whipping the Grounder, and Bellamy didn't want to do it just as much as the rest of them didn't want to see it. She had been wrong before, and it wasn't fair to him to have to torture someone when it was so clearly in his eyes that he did not want to for the life of him. But Finn's life was at stake, and everyone knew that someone had to. And giving Finn the wrong antidote might worsen the symptoms.

She moved out of the way, hesitant to leave Bellamy's side, and within seconds there was another whiplash and the Grounder cried out in pain. Bellamy didn't stop this time, not to look at anyone or to even take a breath. It was obvious in his movements the distaste he felt and it didn't help that Octavia was behind him shouting protests like, "Enough!"

"Clarke!" Raven yelled up the ladder. "He's getting worse!"

"We're running out of time," Clarke said desperately as she slid in front of Bellamy on her knees like Alessia before her and pointed to the vials urgently. "Which one? Which one is it? If you tell us, they'll stop! Please! Tell us which is the antidote and they'll stop this!"

Still no response.

Devastated, Clarke moved out of the way and Bellamy threw down the seatbelt, obviously getting nowhere with it. "If that doesn't work, maybe this will," he murmured as he walked over and grabbed a loose bolt lying around from when they'd dismantled the seats. Alessia stepped forward.

"Hey, Blake, is that really such a good idea...?"

"You don't have to be here for this," Bellamy told her seriously. "It's okay, Kane, you can go."

"It's not _me _I'm worried about here!" she snapped at him. She'd seen worse. Her father had done..._far _worse. She had a strong stomach, but she wasn't sure it was going to get them anywhere. Hurting the Grounder would never get them what they wanted, she couldn't be the only one to know that. And in that process of getting nowhere, they'd be risking the one thing that mattered: their own humanity.

Bellamy, quiet, turned back to look at Clarke. "And you, Princess?"

"I'm not leaving until I get that antidote," Clarke told him firmly, though her voice shook and she paced nervously. Octavia, quiet behind Bellamy, stood with tears in her eyes.

Bellamy stepped forward, the bolt inches away from the Grounder's face to give him a good look, where Bellamy growled, "Last chance."

And, when there was no answer, Bellamy brought his arm back and plunged the bolt as hard as he could through the Grounder's palm, causing the tough Grounder to convulse, biting down on his cheek to keep from crying out in pain from the hole in his hand. Right as Bellamy stepped away, Raven came rushing up the ladder.

"What's taking so long?" she demanded as she walked up to Clarke. "He stopped breathing!"

"What?"

Clarke moved towards the ladder, but Raven stopped her. "He started again, but next time he might not."

"He won't tell us anything," the blonde told the mechanic. Raven looked around anxiously, trying to think of something to motivate the Grounder to talk to them, and when she spotted the wires in the left corner, she sauntered towards them.

"Wanna bet?" Raven mumbled as she pulled out the blue wires she had warned Octavia against earlier.

Bellamy stood. "What are you doing?"

"Showing him something new." Raven sparked the wires together, creating a spark of electricity, and the Grounder strung up in front of them arched away as far as his restraints would take him seeing the electric shock. Mercilessly, Raven pressed the two ends of the wires to the Grounder's chest and the Grounder gave an unadulterated cry as the lights of the drop ship fluctuated with the new circuit. Raven pulled the wires away, snarling, "Which one is it? Come on!"

She tried it again, and the screams their prisoner made had every single person in the drop ship flinching to their very core, even Alessia and all the murderers in their camp. In the darkness, Octavia suddenly had a bright idea, and she reached behind her with her eyes wide and grabbed the knife Clarke had discarded before.

"He's all I have!" Raven cried and tried shocking him again. Suddenly, Octavia shouted.

"No more!"

"He's letting Finn die!" the mechanic screamed. In a snap decision, Octavia brought the knife up to her arm and made an incision, causing her brother to protest almost immediately. Blood seeped from the wound in her arm and the poison entered her blood stream stealthily. The Grounder shook realizing what she had done.

"He won't let me die," Octavia muttered as she dropped to her knees in front of the vials. Bellamy's protests could be heard in the background, but she didn't pay attention. The dark-haired teenager used the knife in her hand to point to the vials. "This one? Huh? Come on!"

Without a sound, the reluctant Grounder tilted his head to the vial on the farthest right side, and Octavia picked it up hurriedly holding it in front of his face. The Grounder nodded, indicating that it was the right one, and she handed it to Clarke immediately. Clarke and Raven rushed down the stairs while Octavia covered her wound with cloth and waited for her turn with the antidote. Bellamy moved forward, grabbing Octavia's shoulders gently, but she jerked away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she snarled, hurrying away. Bellamy watched as she shook her head and the Grounder in front of them hung his head limply, exhausted from the torture.

* * *

The secret was out. The Chancellor had told the entire Ark about Earth being survivable, about Wells's death, and had also managed to make Diana Sydney, the former Chancellor of the Ark, a member of the Council in place of Abby's spot. Kane wasn't sure any of it was the right idea, but he didn't know what was anymore. After the General Assembly he'd gone to, Kane returned back to the Eden Tree, where Section 17 was quiet and abandoned for the night, and he watered the plant with the tiny drops of what they had to feed the tree until its return to the Earth.

"You haven't done that in years." Marcus turned around to find his mother standing behind him, shocked and amazed. Kane didn't respond as Vera walked up towards the tree and whispered with a soft smile, "It's healing. Don't you agree?"

He didn't know what came over him, but it was like a flood of emotions clouded his judgement—emotions that Marcus had oppressed for so long—and he started to cry. It was a soft cry, a cry without many tears or sounds, and his mother observed solemnly as he softly confessed, "I don't know who I am anymore."

Vera stepped forward. "You're my son. You're Alessia's father."

Marcus's breath shook. "I-I've done some...terrible things. Things that she won't ever forgive me for."

"_God _will forgive you, Marcus, as will your daughter," his mother comforted. "The question is, will you be able to forgive yourself?"

Kane sighed and said no more. His mother stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her son's neck in order to reassure him of the goodness in his heart. For once, Kane did not move. He stood there, comforted by the mother that he pretended did not exist most of the time, unusually glad to have her with him. He stood there for a while, longer than expected, before he pulled away and shook his head.

"There's something I need to go do."

"Then do it." Vera nodded gently, touching her son's arm reassuringly as he set the water dropper down on the table and walked out of Section 17. He didn't have to remember how to get to where he was going even though it'd been an entire year since he'd visited. He'd been there so often that it was planted in his memory like a map. He turned hallways, avoiding the murderous gazes of those around him, and bowed his head shamefully until he came up to the door of a resident of the Ark, one that he had avoided ever since the day of his daughter's arrest.

Marcus's hand clenched into a fist and he knocked—once, twice, and a third time—and waited until the door finally opened.

"Coming," a voice said behind the door and, after unlocking it, Marcus came to stand face to face with a ghost—one from his daughter's past—whom he never expected to see again.

It was Calix Mercer, Kane's former commanding officer-in-training. Former boyfriend of his daughter. Former man whom he thought of as a son and nearly pushed the button for his execution.

"What are you doing here, Officer Kane?" Calix asked in a cold tone. Marcus stared blankly at the man before him, dressed in worker clothing with grease on his hands from fixing the Ark. Along with being a great officer, Calix came from a family of mechanics. Once stripped of his guarding right, he transferred to the family business.

"You look like you're doing well." Kane cleared his throat. Calix leaned against the threshold of his door.

"Yeah, I'm not dead. That's always a plus." Kane swallowed thickly and it didn't take much for Calix to realize what was going on. He straightened, tensing as he realized. "No. No, you're not here because she was executed, are you? Because I swear to God, Kane—"

"Have you not heard?" Kane asked, surprised. Calix waited. "About The 100?"

"Yeah, but..." the 20-year-old trailed off as he slowly came to the conclusion. His voice was soft and disbelieving next. "Alessia was on that drop ship? She's...she's on the ground?"

Kane always hated the fact that Calix Mercer had been the object of his daughter's desires. Calix was the most gifted Guardsman he'd ever seen, which was why he'd tried to train him to be second-in-command. What was worse was that he didn't want his daughter anywhere near someone like him. He didn't want his daughter near anyone, really. It was every father's struggle, a very real one, that only Kane took to the extreme.

But it was time to put that behind him, so with a small voice and a small nod, Kane answered.

"Yes."

* * *

When Clarke stepped out of the drop ship for the first time since the storm passed, the first thing she noticed was the wreckage; the second thing she noticed was Alessia doubled over trying to clear some of the debris. Immediately worried, Clarke rushed over to Alessia and began her question. "Alessia? Alessia, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Alessia breathed slowly as the pads of her fingers ran over her stomach. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Clarke looked down at the position her fingers were in, and like a train, it hit her almost immediately. "Oh! Oh, my God, I can't believe I completely forgot. You said you thought you broke some ribs."

"Relax, Clarke." Alessia let out a breathless chuckle. "There's nothing you can do for it and we both know it. It'll heal. In time. On its own." She moaned involuntarily, gritting her teeth. "But holy _fuck _that does hurt."

"You're right," Clarke said apologetically. "I can't...I can't really fix them. They have to heal by themselves." She paused for a moment and spotted something a few feet away and her eyes lit up. "But here."

Clarke left Alessia's side for a moment to reach over and grab a canister of Monty's moonshine lying around, and returned to her friend just to find that Alessia had managed to get herself up on her feet, still hunched in pain. Alessia eyed the canister as Clarke extended it to her. "Monty's moonshine?"

"It's all the painkillers we've got."

"Oh. Well, in that case..." Alessia trailed off, chucked the lid of the canister away, and downed whatever was left of Monty's ridiculously alcoholic beverage that was almost disgusting, but did the job. A warm feeling overcame her bones and almost instantly Alessia could feel her bones tingle and the pain in her stomach start to dull. A small smile overcame her lips. "Yeah, that did the trick all right. Thanks, Clarke."

"No problem." Clarke gave Alessia a small smile and walked in the opposite direction. Alessia was about to open her mouth and ask what was wrong, but she realized that Clarke didn't want to talk about it. Even if Clarke did talk, Alessia wasn't sure that she'd get the right answer. After the day Clarke had been though...she couldn't really blame her, either.

"We'll get this cleaned up," a voice said behind her and Alessia turned to see Bellamy right over her shoulder. He circled in front of her and she caught him staring at her stomach. "You should lay down for a while."

"I know where I'd like to lay down." A smirk fell over her lips but Bellamy knotted his eyebrows, confused, where Alessia shook her head. "_So _didn't mean that. Monty's moonshine is too powerful for my own good. Sorry."

"Are you okay?" Bellamy asked her, but then immediately amended his statement. "I'm sorry..._if _I'm allowed to ask."

"Jerk. Of course you're allowed to ask. It's when you tell me that I can't fight with an injury when you're not allowed to say shit." She brushed past him and tried to walk to her tent, but she felt Bellamy's hand close around her wrist and turn her back. Her head spun for a moment, only because of the alcohol she'd guzzled down, and she blinked a few times to get it out of the way.

"Hey," he said softly. "About what you said earlier...about me being commanding officer? You need to know that who we are and who we need to be to survive are two _very _different things. I'm not your father."

Her gaze shifted, her half-drunk, still serious eyes moved from his to the floor back up to his again as she nodded. "I-I know you're not. I _know_. What you did in there proved that."

"What do you mean?"

She paused. "My dad doesn't hesitate to hurt someone. You did." Unconsciously, she squeezed his hand and walked forward, closer to him, and brushed his shoulder as she disconnected their hands and pointed to the drop ship. "My tent's actually destroyed, so I think I'll go lay down in there for a while. Maybe Finn and I can play tic-tac-toe or something..."

Alessia walked, somewhat smoothly, back onto the drop ship and disappeared behind the curtain, as Bellamy watched her leave his side.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review! Heads up, next episode is someone's birthday...let's see if we can guess who...**

* * *

**katiesgotagun: **I guess you got to see it at the end...well, she kind of made a sex joke so it's not really all that brotherly because we all know Bellamy was thinking the same thing. I didn't want Alessia to be too emotional during this last scene so getting her a little tipsy seemed like a fun way to do it. Here's the update! Thanks for reviewing!

**Momsen-xxxx: **Yes. She does. She's Alessia the Grounder Slayer. Except she doesn't slay Lincoln...unless you count when she hit him over the head but she still wouldn't torture him.

**blue-lily295: **No, she's definitely not afraid of what she has to do but what we saw in this chapter was a reminder of the fact that she has some sort of boundary line, unlike her father who doesn't have a line anywhere (well, with exception to this one episode because he gets all emotional). Here's the update, hope you enjoyed!

**Guest: **Badass Alessia should be her new nickname :P Yeah, she'll be all right. After all, she _is _Badass Alessia! The next episode will be better for her because there will have been time for the injury to heal but like Clarke said, there can't be much done about broken ribs.

**TheDysfunctional: **Aw thanks! Jasper and Margot were the original plan but I'm still working my shit out with this story because with Maya in second season, it's extremely difficult. I will tell you this though, Margot will be accompanying Jasper to the bridge when he blows up the bomb and...he might be a little grateful to her afterwards enough to build up some courage (they are pretty cute though) :)

**thenightowl57: **Thank you! Here it is no more need for waiting!


	8. Day Trip

**I don't think I have to say anything much except that the Season 2 finale had me in tears. This is like Season 1 all over again, I'm just gonna be dead for the next five months until it comes back on in October. Anyone know how many episodes they're having for Season 3? I'm crossing my fingers for 22 episodes after that goddamn season finale...it was so perfect I hate it and love it at the same time!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Day Trip**

_One Year Ago..._

_Little black dresses never did suit her well. For two hours, Alessia had paraded around in the nice-looking dress feeling as uncomfortable in her own skin as she was sure Clarke was seeing the men behind her shoulder, watching her every move. It had been a week since her father was so viciously and unfairly floated by Kane, and though Alessia never expected in a million years to be one of the people on the guest list to a funeral primarily caused by her father, she was still given an invitation and chose to accept it. This was a rarity, for an imprisoned resident of the Ark to get a funeral, but it was necessary. Jake Griffin was one of those most respected on the Ark. Even those who killed him respected him. _

_Clarke had been taken away right after her father's death in the air chamber. For a week, she'd been in solitary, let out only this one time to mourn her father's death at his memorial. She was instructed to talk to no one about what the truth was, or the guards in the corner watching her every move would be forced to take action. _

_When Alessia returned to the moderately sized quarters she and her father shared on the Ark, she found that she did not return to an empty home. Kane was out doing...whatever he did on a regular day while she stepped through the threshold, sighing and pulling the pins out of her hair which she'd respectfully put up in a bun earlier for the service. But the person inside her house was much more important than her father_—_at least, to her that was. _

_"Calix!" Alessia scolded as she jumped back a few feet watching as he rose from the couch and looked at her. With her hand over her rapidly beating heart, she took deep breaths to regain her even pattern. "Jesus! Don't you know not to sneak up on people in their own home?" _

_"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He moved towards her, never missing a beat in his steps. "After everything that happened with Jake Griffin..." _

_"I'm fine." Alessia pursed her lips. "Clarke's not." _

_"I know Clarke's not fine. Who would expect her to be?" His hand reached out and touched her face gently, the back of his hand on her cheek. He watched her close her eyes for a split second as he continued. "But we both know that you're not, either." _

_Her eyes snapped open, almost as if on a timer, and she gently moved his hand away from her and stepped around him. "Stop treating me like a child, Calix. I said I'm fine." _

_Alessia kicked off her shoes and placed them by the dining table, too lazy to put them back in their proper place. Her movements were brisk and abrupt, her body language practically screaming from the rooftops. Alessia never did have the ability to hide her true emotions from anyone, let alone those who were closest to her. Her anger was pretty much an open book._

_"So now I can't be worried about my girlfriend?" Calix asked, stepping forward carefully with a small smile on his face. Alessia looked back at him, resisting the urge to turn the corners of her mouth up as well at his 40-watt grin. _

_"You take one psychology class for your training and you think you can crack me like a safe? It's not that easy and you know it." _

_"Come on, baby, you won't even let me take a stab at it?" He held up a finger. "__One chance?" _

_She took in a deep breath and crossed her arms, looking at him with a sort of amusement in her eyes. By now he'd neared close enough to be a few inches away, his green eyes staring down into hers patiently. Alessia turned her head, but the inside of her cheek, and admitted through closed teeth, "One day that charm is going to get me in trouble." _

_"It's not my fault you're easily susceptible to charm," Calix reminded her. She frowned, but a smile teetered on her lips. "Come on, Alessia, you know you want to smile." _

_"Why in the world are you trying to make me smile on...possibly the saddest day of my best friend's existence?" But nevertheless, Alessia said the words with a breathless chuckle and a champion smile on her face. Her head bowed down thinking about Clarke, but Calix's hand came to tilt it up to look back at him.  
_

_"Because there's nothing we can do for Clarke. Kane made his decision, he crossed a line he can never come back from." A sad smile twinged at Calix's lips. "And I know how much that has to hurt." _

_"I can't do anything about it," she said softly. "And that hurts more." _

_"Not necessarily," he said slowly, getting to his point at last. When silence reigned upon the room and Alessia finally put two and two together, she stepped out from his grasp, shaking her head with a confused, flabbergasted look on her face. _

_"Why the hell would you be thinking of still doing this after Clarke's dad just got __floated and Clarke was put in jail?! I'm lucky I didn't get thrown in jail!" _

_"Why would you be thrown in jail?" Calix asked, raising an eyebrow. Alessia hesitated for a moment, but then shook her head. _

_"That's not important, Calix! What's important is that you're still hellbent on trying to get these people food when my dad's on red alert for anything suspicious and he will float you just like he did Jake Griffin!" _

_"It's now or never," Calix warned her carefully, conscious not to touch her until she wanted to be touched otherwise he knew he'd spike a spark in her that wouldn't end well. "Kane's reassigning me in a week because he thinks I've had enough experience in there and they change the access codes around the same time. We won't be able to do anything about this." _

_"The Ark has survived for almost a hundred years," Alessia reminded. "The people on this Ark have survived, even with everything you've noticed with the rationing. I told you before, we aren't superheroes. We can't do this."_

_"You believe in boundaries, a line of right and wrong." Calix stared at her gently, calmly, but also heatedly. "I believe in justice and fairness. I'm doing this, Alessia, with or without you. If you want to help me, I won't ever turn you down. But we don't have to be superheroes to make a difference."_

_"Yeah, but you know what happens to the people who aren't superheroes?" She walked forward and gripped his arms gently, her concerned eyes pouring right into his passionate ones. "They get caught. It never ends well." _

_"And that's a risk I'm willing to take," he responded simply, watching as her eyes flooded with realization. Reluctantly, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, deciding it was best not to leave in the midst of a fight without some sort of resolution. "You know where to find me." _

_He slipped out of her grasp, and she let him, watching as Calix walked to the door and shut it on his way out, leaving Alessia with her hair down in messy waves, her bare feet on the cold cement floor, and in that little black dress she felt absolutely ridiculous in._

* * *

Alessia sat on the floor of her tent, her legs crossed underneath her as she tapped her pencil against her pursed, deep-in-thought lips unconsciously. There were so many things on her mind that she didn't even know where to begin. So, finally snapping out of her blank stare, she straightened and held the pencil in her fingers, forming her words in her mind as she began to press her pencil on the paper to record them.

_Dear Diary, _

_So let's start with the good news: my ribs are getting better. Clarke's had me on a steady dose of Monty's moonshine for the last few days so I've been hanging out with Finn while he recovers from his own injury. The bad news? I think I've hit on Bellamy a few times without realizing it. However, I'm pretty sure it's the highlight of his day. _

_So remember how Margot was shot with that arrow? Clarke was super worried that the arrow was poisoned with the stuff the Grounder poisoned Finn with, but I think that Grounder is some medicine man or something because Margot's absolutely fine. Her wound is healing faster than mine, honestly. I mean, like I said, my ribs are getting better. They could just...get better faster, that's all. I have things to do and feeling like someone impaled you with a knife every second the alcohol starts to wear off doesn't really help. _

_On another note, today marks exactly 14 days that we've been on the ground. Which means_

"Hey." Alessia stopped writing and looked up to see Clarke brush the flap of their tent open and stare inside at Alessia with confused eyes. "What are you still doing in the tent? You feeling okay?"

Alessia closed her journal and slid it under her pillow where she put it for safekeeping. "Yeah. I'm fine...a lot better, actually. Never thought I'd be saying this, but that moonshine is a godsend."

Clarke watched as her friend climbed out of her tent and stepped out into the daylight. Reading her best friend like a book, Clarke nodded. "Oh, so you're just avoiding your dad, then."

Alessia turned her head back sharply. "W-What? No..." The blonde gave the other teenager one of her signature looks, and therefore Alessia sighed and caved. "All right, fine. I'm avoiding Kane. But is that really so unbelievable?"

"No, which is why I told Jaha you didn't want to schedule a time to chat with him."

"And...what if I _had _wanted to talk to him?"

"Then you talk to Jaha and ask him to set up a time." Clarke shrugged and crossed her arms. "Look, I need your help. Jaha and Kane gave me a location for a supply depot a few miles away and we've already started to ration for winter but we need more supplies. Are you up for it?"

"Hell yeah. I've been itching to get the hell out of this camp again." She snorted. "I feel like I've been on drugs all week."

"You...sort of have been," Clarke reminded her. Alessia frowned.

"Yeah, but it was boring."

Moving on, Clarke let out a deep sigh and looked around the camp. "All right, I'm going to go find Dax. It's his turn to talk to his parents. Do me a favor and tell Bellamy to get ready?"

"Wait, what?" Alessia blinked after Clarke, but before she could've even gotten the first word of her surprised response out, Clarke was already ten feet from her. "Hey...hey, Clarke!" There was no answer, as Clarke had already tuned her out and went to look for Dax. Alessia turned on her hip, her eyes wide and her breath soft. "What the _fuck?!" _

But she had no choice. She took it with a grain of salt and did what Clarke said, against the voice in the back of her head telling her to stay the hell away from Bellamy Blake. She'd hit on him drunk, not sober. He knew that, she knew that. Besides, it's not like he hadn't done it before, either. But it was stressful, walking on eggshells around him when she was sober. She didn't want to spend five minutes with him, let alone an entire day. And knowing Clarke, she would probably end up splitting the team up and sticking her with Bellamy because, for some inexplicable reason, she thought it was a good idea.

Regardless of her personal feelings, she walked into the drop ship, where she knew Bellamy would be. "Hey, Blake—"

"If this is about Jaha, Kane, like I told Clarke, the answer is still no. I'm not talking to him," Bellamy snapped as she entered the drop ship, abruptly turning on his heel to go out. She spun around and caught him before he left as quickly as he'd hoped.

"Slow your roll, Messiah. You can relax." He turned around and looked at her cautiously. "I'm not here about Jaha, I'm here about something else."

"What, then?"

"Clarke said that the Chancellor and my dad told her about some old depot not too far away with a bunch of supplies that can help us through winter. She wants to check it out and asked me to go with her."

Bellamy raised an eyebrow. "So...why are you telling me this?"

"Because she wanted me to ask you, too."

"Why?"

"Is my name Clarke?" Alessia snapped, surprising Bellamy for a moment. "No? Yeah, I didn't think so. I have no idea." He watched her as she crossed her arms and shifted, softening her voice. "Though I imagine it's not so terrible. I'm on the verge of blowing up at the next person who even looks at me the wrong way and if it's going to be anyone, it might as well be you."

It wasn't meant to be funny, but she watched carefully as Bellamy chuckled softly under his breath and nodded. "I'll get my stuff, meet you in 10."

"All right, then," she agreed and left the drop ship to gather her own things. Clarke went to check on Finn and his bandages while Alessia grabbed a few weapons from the weapon pile they'd created for situations outside the camp. She had her own knife tucked in her boot but slipped a smaller, thicker knife in the waistband of her jeans just in case. After what happened with the Grounder and Margot, they could never be too careful. She found Bellamy and Clarke by the ration bins and when she walked over to them, she watched as Bellamy shoved more than twenty packs of rations into his pack. Clarke looked down at it in confusion but Alessia shifted the knife in her waistband, finding it uncomfortably positioned.

"That's a lot of rations," Clarke noted as she watched Bellamy zip up his pack. "You realize this is a day trip?"

He closed the ration bin. "A lot can happen in a day."

Alessia scoffed. "Yeah, like getting sent to Earth. Remember that day? That was one hell of a day."

"Sometimes I wish we could go back to that day," Clarke mumbled under her breath as Bellamy turned on his heel and started towards the gate without a word. Alessia and Clarke shared a mutually longing glance for the day everything in their lives changed, but like Bellamy, they said not another word and moved forward.

Like Clarke had predicted, it didn't take long to get to the location of the supply depot. most of the trip was silent, which had Alessia thankful beyond belief because, if she were being honest, she would rather not deal with an in-depth conversation on any day, let alone that day. But, of course, Clarke eventually decided to break their peace.

"You know, the first drop ship's gonna come down soon," Clarke warned Bellamy as she moved through the forest first. "Pretty sure you can't avoid Jaha forever."

"I can try," Bellamy replied.

"You really believe that?" Alessia countered him in obvious and blunt disbelief. Before he could answer, Clarke climbed a small hill and rose to the top to overlook a murky lake formed under ruins, the color of the sky reflected upon its waters. Bellamy and Alessia stepped up as well, standing either side of Clarke as they surveyed the picture before them.

"The depot is supposed to be around here...somewhere," Clarke told the two of them under her breath.

"There's gotta be a door," Bellamy pushed as he looked around. Clarke, hesitating for a moment, finally turned to him with a confused look.

"Maybe he'll be lenient," she offered. Annoyed, Bellamy turned to her as well.

"Look, I shot the man, Clarke. He's not just gonna forgive and forget." Clarke silenced, and upon this gesture, Bellamy sighed. "Let's just split up. We'll cover more ground. Stay within shouting distance."

Both Clarke and Bellamy split off in different directions, left and right, leaving Alessia standing on the hill looking around. She slowly stepped down the steep hill and made sure not to fall, choosing to go the opposite way of everyone else. She went more towards the lake than Bellamy and Clarke, but it seemed that there was no door anywhere. Of course, that was until Clarke finally found something.

"Bellamy! Alessia!" she shouted, within shouting distance like Bellamy had suggested so that both of them could hear her. "Over here. I found a door."

Alessia reached the door first, bending down next to Clarke at the handles of the rusty door. Both of them pulled at a handle, trying and failing to open the thick, heavy hatch. When Bellamy bent down to their sides, Alessia turned at him with a heavy, frustrated sigh.

"Rusted shut."

"Here. Clarke, watch your foot." Bellamy bent down and used his axe to hack at the bottom of the door, where he cracked the handles and nodded. "Okay. Give me a hand."

With a team effort, the three of them swung the door open easily and looked inside to a staircase leading into the depot. Clarke pulled out three flashlights, turned them all on, and gave one to Bellamy and one to Alessia. The depot was dirty, an odor clouding all of their senses, and it was dark and wet, hardly a place to shelter for the winter, ruining Clarke's plans. Bellamy surveyed it with confusion.

"You really think this place hasn't been touched since the war?" he proposed. Clarke looked around, uncertain.

"A girl can dream. Come on." They walked to the side, descending another staircase into darkness, and Alessia somehow found herself first. She used her flashlight to light as much as the way as she could, but it was a limited view. Suddenly, something cracked beneath her feet, bringing Clarke and Bellamy to a cold stop behind her as she froze.

"What was that?" Alessia hissed. She looked down, shining her light on whatever was beneath her feet, and found that she had stepped on something elongated and brown, and she moved her flashlight up just a few inches to finally found the source of what she'd stepped on. A large lump formed in her throat as she saw the decayed human skeleton next to her, its hand crushed beneath her feet, and she realized exactly where part of the god awful stench was coming from. "O-Okay. Dead guy on staircase. I can handle that."

"Hell of a place to die," Bellamy murmured.

"So much for living down here. This place is disgusting. Damn it!" Clarke exclaimed disappointedly as they continued moving along in the depot.

"Anything left down here is ruined," he added.

"They must've distributed most of the supplies before the last bombs went off."

"Or the Grounders took it," Alessia suggested with a shrug as she watched a puddle of water actively form on the floor from a leak in the ceiling. "I mean, if we found this place, I'm sure they have by now. A century head start and everything."

No one responded to her theory, but all of them noticed the large trunks lining the hallways of the depot. Clarke opened the one on the left and Bellamy the one on the right, and Alessia looked over his shoulder and watched as a wildly disappointed expression crossed his face seeing a bunch of glow sticks inside. Clarke, on the other hand, seemed to find something more useful.

"Hey, I found blankets," she announced. Alessia moved over to her and peered inside, where sure enough, there were a bunch of thick covers lying inside.

"Excited about a couple of blankets?" said a disgruntled Bellamy as he threw the useless glow sticks onto the floor. Clarke shut the case and turned around.

"Well...it's _something_."

"Well how about a canteen or...a med kit or a decent freaking tent?!" he shouted angrily, slamming his hand down on a barrel by the cases. Alessia watched him, concerned as to why he was taking it so personally, but Bellamy didn't even notice as he opened the barrel and stuck his hand inside, trying to find something useful. But to his eyes, the barrel was just a bucket full of useless oil no one would ever need.

"Did you give him some of Monty's moonshine?" Alessia hissed at Clarke, who was standing next to her with a shrug and a confused, yet still concerned look on her face. Suddenly, Bellamy surprised them both by letting out a largely frustrated and loud groan and he kicked the oil barrel over so that all the black liquid inside spilled out. But it wasn't just oil that came out of the barrel, and that was obvious when there was the soft click of something landing on the ground. He could see the faint outline of something on the floor, so without delay, Bellamy bent down and shone his light on the mystery items inside the barrel he'd kicked over.

There was practically a smile in his voice. "Oh, my God."

"What?" Clarke asked impatiently.

He didn't have to say anything. Clarke and Alessia turned around and watched as Bellamy held up a firearm in his hand with an idiotic grin on his lips.

* * *

_There was a small window of time for Calix to do what he needed. He had to get into the room where the rations were stored and get out within ten minutes when surveillance would come back online. His code had overridden it for a while, but not for long. It was ten minutes or nothing, not a second to spare. The minute the cameras were off, he moved calmly but hastily towards the ration room, where one of the guards were standing by waiting to be relieved. _

_"Oh, good. Mercer, you're here." Bellamy Blake, the guard on duty, walked forward as Calix stopped at the door. "This job is probably the most boring thing I've ever done in my life." _

_"Won't have to be doing it for too long, Blake," Calix said with a small smile. "You're moving up in ranks. You'll be in Shumway's position real soon." _

_Bellamy snorted. "Yeah, I doubt that. Try not to fall asleep on the job. I almost did." _

_Calix forced a laugh. "Here's hoping." _

_Bellamy walked away and left Calix to his bidding, where Calix pretended for just a few moments to stand in the guardsman position outside of the door. Once Bellamy was out of sight, Calix hastily typed in the code on the keypad of the door, but the code wouldn't work. His eyes went wide as he tried it again, but a shining red light came up the second he did so. _

_"No, no, no...come on!" Calix groaned as he tried to type it again, but it was the third try. After the third try, the alarms would sound. Suddenly, before he could press the last number, there was suddenly a hand on his. _

_"Back away from the keypad." Calix looked up to find Alessia standing beside him with gentle eyes as her hand moved his off of the keypad. He shook his head. _

_"What are you doing?" _

_"Saving your ass," she said pointedly with a smile. "Like I save everyone else's. Step aside, baby, I'll show you how it's done. Dear old Dad changed the codes this morning...he likes to change them two days earlier at random times in the year. You picked a terrible week to be the hero." _

_Alessia erased the numbers he had put into the keypad and retyped them with the new numbers, and when she finished pressing the last number, the keypad turned green and the door unlocked. She used her foot to prop the door open and she stood with her back against it and a smile on her face._

_"I'm with you," she promised softly, more serious now. "Always." _

_Without hesitation, he surged forward and kissed her, rashly forgetting about the time limit they had. It wasn't enough time to make it an in-depth kiss, but it was enough. At last, he pulled away. _

_"I love you, Alessia." _

_"I love you more," she responded and grabbed his hand. They walked into the ration room together where the lights lit up and they were standing in the middle of a temperature-controlled room full of locked cases with rations in small silver bags. Alessia looked at her boyfriend. "How much time do we have left?" _

_"Four minutes and forty seconds." _

_She took in a sharp breath. "Then we better get to it. Code for the cases is 124598, got it? Say it back." _

_"124598."_

_"Two hundred bags each?" _

_"That's more than enough. You go that way, I'll go this way. Four minutes and thirty seconds!" he warned as they broke apart to opposite sides of the room. The two rushed, unlocking each case and taking as many as they could shove into the bag, estimating with their eyes how many they were taking. It was important not to take too many from each case, otherwise it would tip the sensors so much that the alarms would go off. _

_"How much time?" Alessia shouted to him as she grabbed ten packs from a case and shoved them into her bag. _

_"One minute!" she heard. With a hard exhale, Alessia typed in her last key code and grabbed another few packs of rations. But she took too many, and the next thing she heard was the sound of sirens wailing all throughout the storage room. As the room turned an ugly shade of red, she heard her name being shouted. "Alessia!" _

_"Calix!" she shouted back and ran with the bag in her hand, over to the entrance. Calix had a bag about the same size as hers and they both looked at each other with widened eyes. "The sensors! I tripped the sensors." _

_"Come on, let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door, but the door locked itself as a result of the alarm. Alessia tried to pull it open with Calix's help, but it was no use. The magnetic lock was too strong for them to break it themselves. Calix pulled her arm back and tossed her his bag. "Take that. The minute this door opens, you run, okay?" _

_"What?" she nearly screamed. "I'm not leaving you behind!" _

_He didn't listen to her. Instead, he reached behind him and grabbed a crowbar hidden in the waistband of his pants and he pulled open the door with the crowbar, and it was enough force to continue to break the magnetic lock. But it was tough, and she could see it, her heart beating fast in her chest. Calix dropped to his knees, grunting as he pulled the door apart with the crowbar as the magnetic force of the lock begged to go back inside. Finally, he managed to get the door open far enough for Alessia to get through, and he wasted no breath. _

_"Go!" he yelled. She wanted to stay, but how could she? In a snap decision, she slipped past the door and got on the other side right as it magnetically shut again, sealing Calix inside. Once on the other side of the door, she dropped the bags and pounded on it. _

_"Calix!" she shouted through the thick door. "Calix! Calix!" _

_"There!" _

_Alessia turned her head and saw guards barreling right towards her, obviously coming in response to the alarm. Knowing she couldn't stay, she gathered the bags into her arms and started to run as fast as her legs would take her. Some of the guards stopped to go to the door of the ration room, but some of them chased after her as well, never letting up. They were much faster than she was, and no matter how strong she'd been taught to be, she wouldn't be able to fight all of them off. But she ran straight towards the destination where none of this would be a waste. _

_At last, she reached the dining hall just in time, a few seconds to spare. Running up to one of the tables, Alessia dumped all of the bags of rations onto the lunch tables, spilling tons of silver bags. The people of the Ark looked at her in wonder, concern, and gratitude as the guards at the edge of the room started to realize what was going on. She smiled at them and nodded without a word; there were no words to be spoken. _

_It was right then when she was taken by the guards, all of them coming together to pull her arms back and restrain her from getting out of their grasp. The dining hall turned into a frenzy, every single one of the guards getting distracted by the dozens of people rushing over to grab the silver bags laid out for them to take. Alessia saw it as an opportunity to escape, and so she did. Socking the one guard still restraining her, she managed to slip out of everyone's grasp and headed right for the door, only to be stopped by the one man she didn't think she would have to defend herself against. _

_"What have you done?" Kane hissed at her as he looked inside the dining hall chaos and back at his daughter in disappointment. Alessia swallowed thickly. _

_"What you never will," she answered harshly. Her fate was clear, though she prayed by some miracle that Calix had gotten away._

* * *

"This changes everything!" Bellamy exclaimed as he hung up a blanket on the other side of the room, complete with an X mark across the fabric for target practice. Alessia popped a nut into her mouth from the ration packs Bellamy shoved into his bag as he walked towards her. "No more running from spears. Ready to be a badass, Robin Hood?"

He popped another nut into his mouth and smiled at her, and she wasn't exactly sure why, but she laughed. "I'm always a badass, Messiah. A sexy badass, thank you."

"Can't argue there," he agreed. Clarke, standing awkwardly beside Alessia, just sighed.

"Look, Bellamy, I'm not gonna fight you on bringing guns back to camp. I know we need them, but don't expect me to like it," she murmured. "So...I'm gonna go see if there are any more blankets around."

"Here." Alessia grabbed a ration pack and as Clarke turned around to face her, threw it at her friend where it was caught at the last moment. "Eat something? Can't save the world if you're malnourished."

Clarke rolled her eyes and untied the ration pack, where she ate one of the nuts inside dramatically and continued down the hall to keep searching the depot. Once she was gone, Bellamy moved on.

"We're lucky the rifles were packed in grease. The fact that they survived means...we're not sitting ducks anymore." He looked down at Alessia. "You need to learn how do to this."

Alessia glanced up at him with a soft chuckle. "And what makes you think that I don't know already?"

He gave her a disbelieving look. "Come on, Kane, your dad might be commanding officer but you don't really seem like the type to use a gun."

"I killed a Grounder!" she exclaimed, offended. "With my own bare hands!"

"Actually, you did it with a knife."

"You are far beyond frustrating right now," Alessia commented as she turned to the target with the gun in her hand. She knew how to use a gun, of course, but the fact that Bellamy didn't believe her was disheartening. She was actually amazing at shooting...probably even better than Blake himself. And she knew it, too, but something inside of her made her want to screw with him. Dramatically, she sighed. "Oh, all right. You caught me. I don't know how to use a gun."

Bellamy smiled slickly. "Knew it."

"Shut up." She tried to hide a smile and did her best at pretending she didn't know how to hold the firearm in her hand. Her performance was surprisingly realistic. "So...what, I just put it over my shoulder?"

"Yep."

"Like this?"

"A little higher." She felt him come up behind her and place a hand on her shoulder, guiding the gun to line up to her eye as she tilted her head down to look at her target. Bellamy's breath was hot and deep on her neck and for a moment, she forgot that she was actually pretending at all. It was fun, though, when she remembered that she was screwing with him and she knew he was very much serious. She listened as he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yeah. Uh, that's good. Watch and learn."

She lowered the weapon in her hand and watched as he moved to grab his own. Getting into position, he pulled the trigger on his firearm just to hear the gun click without dislodging a bullet. Looking at her uncomfortably, Bellamy loaded another bullet into the chamber and tried again. Still, there was no bullet. Hiding another smile, Alessia laughed.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely learning something here."

"My bullets are duds," Bellamy defended himself as he tried another bullet and it clicked again with another dud. "Try yours."

She bit her lip to refrain from chuckling. "Promise not to laugh?"

"Absolutely not," he returned. She rolled her eyes and stepped forward to line herself up with the target. Placing the gun on her shoulder, she recalled all the target shooting she had done with her father for seven years straight, starting from her tenth birthday. She could hear Bellamy anticipating the failure from her as she squeezed the trigger three times, putting three bullets right through the center of the blanket on the X Bellamy had marked on it. She turned around at him with a smile and watched as his face fell. Clearing his throat again, he chocked it up to: "Beginner's luck?"

She shook her head. "Not a chance." Alessia set her weapon down and sighed. "Look, we don't need to waste the ammunition."

"We should get Clarke here," Bellamy thought aloud. "She should learn how to do this. Well...I mean, you could teach her, you obviously have the skill. Surprisingly," he added. She ignored it, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I can teach her. Later. But how are we going to bring these back to the camp? The second that guns show up, we're out of control so we need a plan before that happens." Bellamy grabbed another gun from the stack and loaded it, easily firing a round right through the blanket a little off center. He realized it wasn't as good as Alessia's, but Alessia was far too good to compare against, apparently. "You think Miller could handle it? You left him with the Grounder so I guess that means you trust him. Does it? I'm not really sure about your logic on trust..."

"You should tell Clarke to keep him close. The others listen to him," Bellamy said, his voice abnormally stiff. "And you should be in charge of the guns. I'm sure you can handle it."

"What the hell is going on?" she said after a while, observing the way he avoided looking at her and the tense expression on his face. She stepped in front of him, forcing her to look at her, and she started, "You have been acting way too strange. Stranger than usual. Bellamy, what is it?" Again, he said nothing, and still avoided looking directly at her. She tried to piece it together, and eventually, it hit her like a truck. "Oh, no. Seriously? All the rations you took...actually agreeing to come down here with me and Clarke...telling me that I have to be in charge of the guns and Clarke needs to keep Miller close—you're running, aren't you?"

"I don't have a choice," Bellamy told her. "The Ark will be here soon."

"What kind of lame excuse is that?" Alessia hissed angrily. "'The Ark will be here soon'? You're afraid that Jaha's going to imprison you? Hey, maybe Clarke hasn't made this clear enough for you, but she and I are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that Jaha pardons you like he did the rest of us."

"What did I tell you the first day we came down here, Robin Hood?" Bellamy snapped, his eyes locking with hers in a rush of anger. "You'll get pardoned because you're Kane's daughter. Me? I'm no one."

"You're Octavia's brother." Alessia shook her head. "And you can't leave her. The whole reason you came down was because of _her_."

"Octavia hates me," he mumbled. "She'll be fine."

"Like hell she will, Bellamy—"

"I shot the Chancellor!" Bellamy shouted, overpowering her heated voice. "They're gonna kill me, Alessia. Best case scenario, they lock me up with the Grounder for the rest of my life and there's no way in hell I'm giving Jaha the satisfaction."

"I can convince my dad," she told him carefully, trying to cover the uncertainty in her eyes. Bellamy nodded slowly.

"Uh huh, sure you can. Remind me again what happened to your last boyfriend?" She flinched visibly, and realizing how far he'd gone, Bellamy squared his jaw and shook his head, feeling too hot in the dark depot. "Keep...hitting the goddamn bullseye, I need some air."

She didn't turn around to watch him rush out, but stood by the guns trying to collect herself.

* * *

_Alessia paced back and forth in the solitary cell she'd been confined in, biting at her fingernails. It was a nasty habit, one that she needed to quit but always found herself coming back to again. She couldn't take it anymore, the weight of not knowing what had happened to Calix. She was slowly going insane; she didn't know how long she'd been in the cell, how many minutes...hours...days, even. Time was lost and all she saw was four gray walls and a bed. _

_Suddenly, she heard the sound of the buzzing door beside her and the heavy sealed door opened where Kane stepped inside, his hands crossed behind his back looking as professional and collective as normal. Any other daughter would've been relieved to see her father, but she just stared at him with clenched fists at her side and a hard face._

_"What do you want?" she said icily. Kane shook his head._

_"Why?" He stepped forward. "Why do you __insist upon making things difficult for me?" _

_"Me?" Alessia's eyes widened. "I make things difficult for you? Take good look in the mirror, Dad! You locked your daughter in a goddamn solitary cell because she helped people!" _

_"Because you stole," he corrected angrily, empathizing her thievery. "I knew you were aware about what happened with Clarke and her father, what their secret was. I protected you. But this? You stole four hundred rations, Alessia. And it's a crime, which is a capital crime, and all capital crimes are punishable by death." _

_The word 'death' coming out of her father's mouth made her shudder to her very core. "You locked me in here...and you don't even feel bad about it." _

_Kane's eyes widened as hers softened. "How dare you say that to me? I have spent your entire life preparing you to be strong. Preparing you to be a law-abiding citizen of this Ark_—"

_"You prepared me for failure," she snarled. "You set me up, you knocked me down. Every. Single. Time. So, what? You want to kill me? You want to sentence me to death? Go ahead, Dad, then you'll be rid of your biggest problem." _

_She could tell Kane was biting back his violence. He never had hit her before, but she could always see it in his eyes when he came close. But he was too law-abiding to do such a thing. Child abuse? Capital crime. _

_"You...are not a problem," Kane said softly. "You've never been a problem, Alessia, you are my daughter. And ever since your mother died you are the last thing of her I have left." _

_"Well you must've really hated Mom, then," Alessia told him quietly as she bit down on her cheek. "Because what would she think about you locking your daughter up in a solitary cell until she's 18 just to be floated?" _

_"You won't be floated," Kane promised. "But maybe time in here is what you need to get your act together. You think I don't know about Calix Mercer? About your secret meetings with him in that tacky janitor's closet in Mecha Station?" Alessia was taken back, genuinely surprised that her father had figured out such a thing. "You don't know what you're doing, Alessia." _

_"Is he okay?" she asked quietly. Kane stared blankly at her before finally raising his voice in a very business-like tone. _

_"Calix Mercer is on trial for the theft of four hundred packages of rations along with public disturbance and breaking and entering." The words hit Alessia like a knife through her chest as she realized the painful truth. "He has been sentenced to death because he is 19, and all capital crimes committed by those over the age of 18 are punishable by death." _

_"Please don't do this," she pleaded, her eyes swelling with tears. "Please. Dad, I love him. You don't understand how much I love him, please don't let him die." _

_"There's nothing I can do." Kane shook his head. "Calix made his decision, and he chose to confess to the crime alone. Pending your revision on your 18th birthday, you will be tried for possession of stolen goods." _

_"No." She moved back on the bed and felt the tears down her face as she swallowed thickly, knowing that this was Calix's exit plan. He'd take all the blame and leave her with the smallest crime that would most definitely be expunged when she was retried unless there was interference from her father, which she didn't doubt there would be._

_"What's done is done." Alessia turned away from her father, unable to bear the thought of him, and she expected him to leave. Instead, she heard him come closer, and she shied away more. His voice was quiet as she felt the pressure on the bed change when he set something on it. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that he put you in this position." _

_Kane turned to leave, and that's when Alessia turned around to see her diary lying on her bed with a pen next to it. Her eyes full of tears, watching as Kane moved to exit, Alessia whispered quietly under her breath._

_"You're a coward," she said, making him come to a standstill as the door opened. "And I hate you." _

_Kane didn't reply. After a moment of pondering his daughter's words, he stepped out of the cell and let the guards shut her inside._

* * *

Three clean bullets, right through the same hole. It was all about precision, though accuracy mattered as well. A great gunsman was both precise and accurate, and luckily Alessia was gifted with those skills. She lifted her head and stared at the spot on the blanket where there was a clean three-pronged hole right next to the triangle-shaped formation from her first round she had fired when Bellamy was with her. She forgot how good it felt to fire off a gun, though weapons were normally too big and scary for women to handle. There were very few women guards on the Ark, but she was always expected to be one of them. The difference was, those women fought to get to where they were. Alessia didn't want to be a guard, no matter how good she was at killing someone.

It was just a few seconds after she'd lifted her head from the gun and looked at her target when things started to blur. For some strange reason, she felt off-balance, hot, sweaty, and watched as the world around her turned a very sick shade of green and blue. The X on the blanket faded away, leaving her entirely confused, and realizing that there was something deeply wrong, she dropped the gun in her hand and stepped away from it. Just as she did, she felt herself bump into something, and she whipped around quickly to come face to face with her worst nightmare.

Kane was standing in front of her, his hair slicked back as it usually was when he was wearing his uniform, with his hands crossed behind his back. She blinked over and over again, but there was no use. He wouldn't go away.

"Trying to get rid of me so soon?" Kane mocked her in a small tone. She stumbled back, making sure to step over the gun. "Don't you want to see your dear old Dad?"

"You aren't here, Dad," she whispered quietly, trying to convince herself of the truth. "You aren't here. You're on the Ark."

"Sure." When she stopped cold, he stiffly walked around her, circling her like a shark would. "You're right, I'm on the Ark. But that doesn't mean I'm always with you. Does it bother you? Knowing that everything you are today is a result of every single lesson I've ever taught you?"

"What do you think you ever taught me, huh?" Alessia snapped coldly. "How to kill? How to turn off your feelings as if it were a little button you can push when you don't want to feel remorse?"

Kane came to a stop behind her, his expression bearing confusion. "Alessia, this might surprise you, but you would not be...you if it weren't for me."

"I'm not a saint." She turned around at him sharply. "I know that. I killed Atom, I killed that Grounder out in the woods, and I stood by and watched as someone was tortured. But the difference between you and me, Dad, is that I only do it when I have to for the people that I care about. I have a moral line!"

He shook his head. "You won't know that for sure until you come to a crossroads where you're gonna have to chose. Don't judge, honey, quite frankly, it's never suited you. One day you might find yourself becoming the person you judge."

"I'll never become you," she said quietly, but she had to admit that her supposed truth was uncertain. "I can't."

She didn't know where it came from. In all her life, there were only a few instances where she really broke down into tears. The most memorable one was when her father had left her solitary cell after telling her that Calix would be killed, but that was so far in her past she didn't know where to begin. But standing in the middle of the depot, she began to cry for a reason that she knew deep down inside and it was killing her to know it, which was why she was crying. Kane stepped forward with a sad, yet unloving smile.

"Alessia, why are you crying?"

"Because I miss you!" she shouted angrily as she backed away from him. Kane stayed quiet and watched her as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. "Because you're my father and I love you, no matter how much I try to tell myself that you're an absolute monster. And I _hate _you for it because I know that you're never going to change! Because I know that the father who stood in front of me and didn't lift a single finger to help the man I loved is the father that I have!"

She watched as Kane started to speak, his mouth opening for a split second with sincerity in his eyes and...and then something strange happened. Alessia waited and when her father started to laugh, felt her emotions run up with pure sadness and anger.

Through his chuckles, Kane said, "Wow. I actually feel sorry for you."

Before she could respond, Alessia was knocked unconscious. Dax stood above her knocked-out head that he'd taken the butt of the rifle found by her feet to, looking down at her with pity. He thought about shooting her, not because he had to but because the hatred he felt for Marcus Kane was about as deep as the rest of the camp's. Marcus Kane pressed the button on so many executions it was hardly a rarity for someone to want revenge on his daughter. But ultimately, Dax decided against it, realizing the story that she'd blurted out to him was actually pretty sad...no matter how crazy it was. Honestly, it was a little concerning how both the blonde one and the brunette were running around like crazy bitches in the dark depot, but he couldn't care less.

He had someone to murder.

It was a short while before Alessia woke up from her rifle-induced headache. She groaned, somewhat angrily, as she lifted herself from the floor and felt a crushing weight on her head from where she'd been smashed. She had no idea what was going on or what had happened to her, but she knew that her getting knocked unconscious couldn't have just been a freak accident, of course. Someone came, took a gun, and left her alive. A Grounder, maybe? It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense, but she had enough sense inside of her to grab a gun at her feet and get the hell out of the depot just in case. She didn't know where Clarke or Bellamy were, but she didn't call out there names just in case the person who'd knocked her out decided to come back to finish the job. With her gun cocked, she made sure to keep an alert perimeter around her eyes for anyone suspicious. It was right as she focused on her surroundings when Alessia heard the sound of someone being beaten, and it didn't take a lot for her to put two and two together.

Sure enough, she was right. Bellamy was lying on the ground helplessly without a weapon to defend himself, frazzled from whatever the hell had managed to let her see her father earlier. Dax stood over his body with one of the guns from the depot, and right as he reloaded another bullet into the chamber and braced to squeeze the trigger, Alessia stepped forward.

"Hey, asshole." Dax whipped around with the barrel of the firearm pointed right at her, just like she had it right on him. "Put the gun down or I'll shoot your brains out."

"Should've stayed down there, Alessia," Dax warned. "I wasn't going to kill Clarke unless I had to, but I sure as hell wanted to kill you."

"Why?"

"Your father," he answered simply. She rolled her eyes.

"Like I haven't heard that one before."

"But I didn't," Dax reminded her, the gun still pointed right at her head. She gave him an obviously irate look.

"No, you just hit me over the head with a goddamn rifle! No biggie." She repositioned the gun on her shoulder for a firmer grip. "I said put the gun down."

"Can't do that." He shook his head. "Shumway said no witnesses."

_Shumway? _"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Shumway set it up," Bellamy muttered from the wet ground he was still lying on. "He gave me the gun to shoot the Chancellor."

"Walk away now and I won't kill you," Dax offered. Alessia frowned angrily.

"First off, that's my line. Secondly, this is the third time I've had to ask and I won't do it again. Put the goddamn gun on the ground. Now!"

But he didn't. Dax stood with his gun pointed right at her, and she could see his trigger finger get ready to squeeze. Acting quickly, she had no choice left. She squeezed the trigger with her eyes wide open, thinking it would send off a bullet right into his head where she was aiming, but instead the gun drew a blank. Right as the click sounded, she realized she was out of moves, and she ducked for cover behind a tree. Dax fired shots at her, ones that weren't blank, but she saw Bellamy tackle him to the ground and start to punch violently. While he kept Dax preoccupied, Alessia struggled to get a bullet that wasn't a dud, but she'd never had to worry about whether or not her gun couldn't produce ammunition before. She wasn't deaf to the sounds of Bellamy getting his ass kicked, and she realized that the gun was no hope. For the second time, she ran over to save Bellamy's life, grabbing the collar of Dax's jacket and dragging him off of Bellamy, who was bleeding from all the punches.

Alessia managed to punch Dax a few times, hitting hard enough for her to get into a position where she could hit even harder, but he somehow gained the upper hand on her. Whatever had been in her system before and made her hallucinate Kane had weakened her reflexes, and she was taken off guard. Dax slammed her against the ground and started to hit her. She made a few good attempts to block him and was about to make a move to flip the tables when she saw Bellamy's outline behind Dax and, knowing exactly what he was about to do, turned her cheek right in time. Dax's blood splattered all over the side of her face and his body fell limp on her, where she pushed his dead corpse off and rolled underneath to a free space. Bellamy dropped the gun in his hand with a wide expression and heavy breaths.

Alessia coughed on her side, feeling the very intense effect of the ass-whopping she'd gotten herself. She always thought she'd been good at hand-to-hand combat until she'd come down on the ground and experienced what it was like, first hand, to have a real live opponent. Still coughing, finding that small amounts of blood were coming out from her mouth, she moved over to the tree behind her and used it to sit for a while, needing a break. Though she was acutely aware when Bellamy came stumbling over, sitting right next to her while making sure she was okay.

"Good. You're okay," Alessia breathed out calmly as she panted and swallowed thickly from her encounter. Bellamy shook his head.

"No. I'm not." She watched him as his eyes widened and he murmured to her, "My mother...if she knew what I've done, who I am...she raised me to be better—to be good."

"Bellamy—"

"And all I do is hurt people." Bellamy took in a deep breath, struggling to hold back the tears in his eyes. "I'm a monster."

"No." Alessia's voice was soft and quiet as she looked at him, knowing full well that he was avoiding her eyes in the darkness of the night. "You're not. I know what makes a person a monster, I've convinced myself of it for the last 18 years of my life." Bellamy frowned, almost about to tell her that she had the wrong age, but she shook her head at him. "I turned 18 today."

"It's your birthday and you almost got beat to a pulp by a guy ordered to kill me?" Bellamy murmured. Alessia let out a breathless chuckle.

"Yeah. Believe it or not, it's been a pretty decent birthday."

"Decent?"

"Considering my last birthday was the day I was arrested and the day my boyfriend was floated?" she questioned softly, avoiding Bellamy's gaze. His eyes flooded with realization and she wiped a tear from her eye, her head turned away from him. "I'd say this has been a pretty good birthday so far."

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked. "Why didn't anyone say anything? Clarke must've known that it was—"

"I don't like to celebrate my birthday. Neither does my father." She turned to him. "It just reminds him of a painful time. My mother died a few week after I was born."

"So you don't celebrate your birthday? Ever?"

"Mm...Clarke and Wells used to get me a cupcake. But I don't think we can find cake mix and icing down here." She smiled and looked down at her hands, but it wasn't a regular Alessia smile, it was a saddened one. Bellamy watched her and shifted in his own position, leaning more comfortably against the tree. With his eyes firmly planted on the ground, he brought up the courage inside of him to speak.

"I'm sorry, you know." The air was quiet around them. "I'm sorry I kissed you."

She tilted her head up, her chest tightening for a brief moment as she swallowed, her mouth feeling dry. A soft laugh escaped her lips, but it was gentle enough not to be taken the wrong way.

"No, you're not," she countered quietly, turning her eyes to meet his. For some inexplicable reason, he looked up at her and their eyes locked, and for a split moment what was supposed to be uncomfortable just...wasn't. Her eyes involuntarily flickered to his lips. "And neither am I."

And time stood still, just for a moment or two, and it was as if all the problems they had were gone in an instant. Dax's dead body wasn't just a few feet away from the tree, Clarke wasn't in the depot potentially in danger or not in danger, and there was no thought about outsiders. Alessia had never been one to shy away from a guy—she never doubted her own beauty or was oblivious to the men who were interested in her and she sure as hell never missed an opportunity to take something she wanted. But this time was different than the first. She wasn't blind-sided or taken off guard, she allowed herself enough time to actually want it before she took it. Gently, she leaned forward and kissed Bellamy, minding the bruises around his face and the blood on hers. Her hand rested comfortably on his chin and she kissed him softly, the taste of blood on both their lips. It wasn't a deep kiss; hell, it wasn't as passionate as their first one at all. It didn't even compare, but the fact of the matter was that this was something different than a heat-of-the-moment action. It was a kiss, in its purest form, not meant to spark feelings but to assure them. Bellamy was slightly stiff from the beating he'd suffered, as was Alessia, but it was more than okay. In that moment, it was nothing more than an aftermath, a follow up, supplied to make sure that neither one of them had forgotten that there was something more.

She pulled away, wincing for a moment at the pain she felt in her ribs from her previous injury that was now irritated, but it hardly slowed her down from saying, "You may be a total dick half the time, but there are people at our camp who need you. _I _need you, and you don't know how hard that is for me to admit. You can't run, you have to face it."

"Like you faced your father?" he choked out quietly, less mocking than he usually was. She shifted against the tree and tried to think of a response while he continued. "You've been running from him for so long and you know it. What Kane did was terrible, but he's your dad, like it or not."

"I know." She nodded calmly. "You're right."

Again, things fell silent, and she heard Bellamy take in a deep breath before saying, "Jaha will kill me when he comes down."

She didn't bother looking at him while he told her the obvious statement Instead, she looked straight ahead, as serious as she ever was, right into the large, dark forest. Alessia's head moved side to side slowly in a firm, certain shake.

"I don't care what I have to do this time." Both of them stared forward as she said the words. "I won't let that happen."

The two sat on the ground without a word following her declaration, and they managed to get all of about twenty seconds to themselves before Clarke came out of the forest, rubbing her head with her hand with a confused look on her face.

"I think there was something in those rations..." she trailed off. "A hallucinogen or something...someone hit me over the head with a—"

Clarke's sentence stopped cold as she saw Dax's body lying face-up on the ground with a bullet through his brain and the gun by his side. Alessia and Bellamy both looked up at her and watched Clarke's face fall in realization.

* * *

It was absolute darkness when Clarke, Alessia, and Bellamy finally returned to camp, each of them carrying one third of the load of guns and they'd found in the depot. The camp was in a panic—the Grounder had escaped from the drop ship.

"Let the Grounders come!" Bellamy bellowed as the three of them walked back into camp and the crowd parted. Clarke and Bellamy stood tall as the leaders of their community. "We've been afraid of them for far too long, and why? Because of their knives and spears. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being afraid."

Bellamy and Clarke looked at each other, and along with Alessia, they all revealed their bundle of guns transported from the barrels in the depot. Seeing the firearms, the entire camp mumbled exclamations of approval at the weapons. Clarke spoke over them all.

"These are weapons, okay? Not toys," she warned. "And we have to be prepared to give them up to the Guard when the drop ships come. But until then, they're gonna help keep us safe."

"And there are plenty more where these came from," Bellamy added. "Tomorrow, Alessia will start training each and every one of you. And if the Grounders come, we're gonna be ready to fight."

Bellamy and Clarke put Alessia in charge of the guns, and against her better judgement, she agreed to it. It was time, she realized, to stop acting like she could manage to get by without taking part in the action unless it came at her. She never wanted to be a guard or a commanding officer, but it was necessary for her to be. And as painful as it seemed, she realized she was becoming more and more like her dreadful father every single day.

Once she was done setting the guns up in one of the tents, she walked outside to get some fresh air and relax for a while after the long day she'd had. She was pretty sure there were still open wounds all over her face, but she managed to wipe Dax's blood off of her cheek earlier when Clarke insisted they stop by a stream for a minute and clean up. There were fires that warmed the night air, but it was still freezing outside. Clarke's blanket supply, thankfully, was gong to be a major help.

She spotted Bellamy coming out of the tent Clarke had set up communications in, a relieved look on her face. Unable to bare the suspension, she walked over to him, where he spotted her immediately and met her halfway.

"So?" Alessia asked urgently. "What did Jaha say? Did Clarke tell him what I told her to? Are you—?"

"He pardoned me," Bellamy told her, a small smile forming on his lips. "Thanks to you."

"Thanks to Clarke," she pointed out. "Don't forget, she cares about you, too."

Bellamy paused. "Let's hope that it's not in the same way." She was incapable of holding back a laugh, and she realized it was nice to have the old Bellamy back. Without another word, she moved towards the communications tent but was stopped when Bellamy turned and called her back, confused. "What are you doing, Robin Hood?"

She spun around. "I'm going to talk to my father, Messiah."

Turning back to the tent, she opened the flap and stepped inside, where Clarke was on communications with Jaha, fit into the tiny little screen that glitched every few seconds. He saw her almost immediately.

_"Alessia," _the Chancellor said, grateful with her presence. _"This is a pleasant surprise." _

"What are you doing here?" Clarke asked, removing the headset and standing up. Alessia looked at Jaha and then back to Clarke with a shrug.

"You said to come in here and ask Jaha to schedule a time."

"You're gonna talk to him?" Clarke asked, surprised. "W-Why?"

"Because I have to face it," she said simply, swallowing hard. "Because he's my father, and no matter what terrible things he's done, I still...love him. Just like even though your mother did something inexcusable, you'll still love her, no matter what." Alessia's arm reached out and she touched Clarke gently. "Bellamy faced his fears. I'm doing it now. You should think about doing it, too."

Alessia didn't bother asking for the headset Clarke was using before. She sat down in the chair and grabbed the headset for herself, where soon after she heard Clarke leave the tent to give Alessia the privacy she wanted. Alessia smiled at the Chancellor.

"It's been a while, Chancellor Jaha." He smiled back at her kindly and she took in a deep breath. "Do you mind...seeing if you can track down my father for a second?"

Jaha nodded and looked to someone off-screen. _"Radio Kane, please."_ Jaha looked back at her. _"He'll never admit this to you, or himself, but he was hoping you'd want to talk to him." _

Alessia nodded without speaking, and after a moment or two, she could hear her father's voice as he entered the Council room, wondering what was going on. She took in a deep breath, her mind registering the fact that she couldn't be angry with him, not when she was the one to initiate the contact. Jaha stood from his chair and it was soon replaced with Kane, who was hesitant to see his daughter. Once he did, she saw his face fall into immediate relief.

_"Alessia," _he said, a strange grateful tone in his voice. She swallowed.

"Hi, Dad."

_"Are you okay? Clarke said something earlier about your ribs being broken?" _

"I'm fine," she answered, honestly surprised he even knew, or even cared. She wanted to say something, but bit her tongue. No matter what resentment she harbored for her dad, Bellamy was right. He _was _her father and she knew exactly what that meant. "I still kick ass, just like you taught me. Don't even miss a beat."

_"Looks like you got pretty beat up," _he noted. She scoffed.

"Yeah, Shumway had one of the 100 try and kill a friend of mine." She ran a hand through her hair. "But it's all right. I'll survive."

Things between the father and daughter were silent for a very long time, until eventually, Kane leaned forward with his hands over the desk in front of the camera and he said something she would've never expected in a million years.

_"Happy birthday, Alessia," _Kane said seriously, watching as his daughter's eyes snapped up to the screen and looked at him. It was the first time her father had wished her a happy birthday in so long. She couldn't even remembered the last time she heard him speaking about the day she was born, let alone celebrating it or wishing her happiness. She wasn't ever sure he even knew the day she was born.

So, with a pained smile on her face, she nodded at him, but she and her dad were as much alike as they were different. They didn't dwell over the sappy stuff, they didn't thank each other for something as sentimental or important as a birthday wish. They just stared at each other with a level of mutual understanding that was more than enough.

* * *

_Kane watched as Calix approached the air chamber he and two other men were standing at with a guard at his arm, leading the way to his certain death. Kane could see the calm look on his once prized protégé whom had disgraced him beyond the law. It was one thing to use the access granted as a guard to do illegal things and it was another to covet the daughter of the man who trained a mechanic to be one of the best officers ever served on the Guard. It was disrespectful, blatantly wrong, in Kane's eyes. _

_Kane looked at the guard following Calix from the confinement center. He nodded. "Take the cuffs off." _

_The guard obeyed, pulling the restrains off of Calix, and as he did, the rest of the soldiers in the room tensed alertly. Calix didn't bother fighting; he knew each of the guard had a baton that would knock him all the way back into the air chamber. This was his consequence for deciding to choose justice over the law. _

_Kane stepped forward, his eyes burning into that of the former guard's. "Not only have you betrayed this Ark, you've betrayed my trust. For that alone you deserve to float." _

_"I didn't betray anything," Calix growled. "Your daughter loves me as much as I love her. Floating me won't ever change that." _

_"She doesn't know what love is! Not yet. You tricked her into loving you; you tricked a sixteen-year-old girl into stealing for you." _

_Calix stood tall, never once fazed by Kane's completely wrong accusation. "She's seventeen today, Marcus." Kane was silent. "Or did you forget? No, of course not. You just choose to ignore the day when your daughter was born. That's all you ever do, ignore her. Ignore her and control her. I would never do that." _

_Kane thought about saying something else, but he couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to see Calix Mercer die. He wanted to be the one to push the button. How dare he speak to him about his daughter? Calix loved her in an entirely different way, he knew nothing about what Marcus would do for Alessia. Frustrated looking at the traitor's face before him, Kane looked up at the guard behind and nodded._

_"Put him in the airlock." _

_But of course, no one really expected for Calix to go down without a fight. He hit the guard in the nose and managed to slip out of the guard's grasp. Kane didn't bat an eye as he ordered the other guards to close in, and Calix barely had a moment to think before restrained again, four times the force, being dragged to the airlock. Right as he was placed inside, there was a shout._

_"Calix Mercer, you are pardoned for your crimes!" _

_All guards, including Kane, looked back and saw Chancellor Jaha emerge from the corridor and angrily step into the scene. Calix stepped out of the airlock and safely onto the Ark, breathing a large, confused sigh of relief. Kane turned at Jaha with widened eyes. _

_"Chancellor Jaha, Calix Mercer stole 400 bags of rations from the ration room earlier today," Kane growled. "There is no reason for him to be pardoned! He was inside the room when we caught him!" _

_"He is a victim of your prejudiced malice, Kane," Jaha said pointedly and looked at Calix next. "Mr. Mercer you are hereby banned from any and all duties on the Guard. You may return to your original station and start training for your original position before Officer Kane recruited you. You are free to leave." _

_Kane watched as Calix moved towards the door, and angrily, he looked at his Chancellor. "Malice or not, that boy is a thief!" _

_"You should thank me, Marcus." Jaha's voice was cold and stern. "I just saved you from an entire lifetime of being hated by your own daughter. We're done here." _

_With nothing else to say, the Chancellor turned on his heel and left the airlock, where the rest of the guards followed him. Calix, shocked and grateful but also waiting in disbelief, realized he waited too long. A very violent Kane moved over to him and grabbed Calix by the collar of his jacket, his knuckles turning white at his clenched fists. _

_"Listen here, Mercer," Kane snarled. "You ever go near my daughter again and I will kill you. Do I make myself clear?" _

_"I told you," Calix began, shoving Kane off of him. "She loves me. It's not my decision, she'll come to me when she finds out I'm not dead." _

_"She won't find out you're not dead." Calix opened his mouth to protest, but Kane interrupted him before he could begin. "You don't get a say in this. She is my daughter. She may have turned seventeen today, but she is not old enough to make her own decisions. Right now, I control her. If I find out you've contacted her in any way, shape, or form before her 18th birthday, I will float you myself. But even after, Jaha won't be there to save you. You've been given a new start, Calix, and my suggestion is for you to use it to your advantage." Kane moved to leave. "If you really love her, let her go." _

_And he didn't really leave him with much of a decision. Calix was left standing in the execution chambers, pondering over the words Marcus spat at him. On one level, he hated Kane so much more than he had before knowing that he was trying to threaten him into leaving Alessia alone. But the other part of him realized that the last words Marcus said held some merit.  
_

_After everything, after everything that had taken place in one, sole day, maybe Kane was right. If he loved her, he had to let her go. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**ThisIsMeAndYou: **Interesting idea but honestly I have a strong feeling Margot would annoy the shit out of Calix because their personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

**Alice: **You were able to see it a little bit in this chapter, Alessia doesn't really want to be a bigger deal in the camp. Plus they all kind of hate her. No, but honestly, the fact that she was put in charge of the guns is how I'm getting her to become a more important part in the camp because (it's super ironic, really) but she's basically the new Kane. As for other people hitting on her and Bellamy getting jealous...Season 1 is more focused on Bellamy learning from Alessia where to draw the line and Alessia learning where to ease up. Season 2 will be more in-depth with this whole concept of her obviously being an attractive girl and Bellamy obviously being jealous because of it.

**katiesgotagun: **Stressful indeed. Um, yeah, I think it's safe to say Calix will be a little pissed off. Alessia never really learned that Calix was still alive, so yes there is something left there. Drunken Alessia is my favorite and she's returning for the next chapter! Alessia and Bellamy do rely on each other, which was more prevalent in this chapter if you couldn't tell. Here's the update! I'm on a roll here :)

**hodhod2011danger: **I'd pay really good money to see that. It should be a deleted scene or something. I'm not sure who would win, though...

**Momsen-xxxx: **Thank you!

**BrittWitt16: **Really? I actually didn't like the way the chapter turned out but I'm pleasantly surprised everyone liked it so much! Finn and Alessia are my favs, I'm trying to build their friendship up because Finn doesn't really have any friends, he just has Clarke and Raven so he seriously needs a friend for advice. Yeah, I mean, I guess in a nutshell she was kind of hoping for it lol if this chapter didn't tell you that I don't know what does. Yeah sucks for Alessia and Margot but they survived! Bellamy does care! That's the beauty of it! More Bellessia and some Clarke/Alessia friendship stuff happened in this chapter so your wishes have been inadvertently granted :)

**BrittWitt16: **Yeah, no, like Alessia wrote down in her journal, only the knife was poisoned. Which makes sense because Lincoln was the one who had the antidote and you know he has all those special herbs and stuff so it's safe to say he poisoned his own blade. Yeah "ish" in the last chapter but definitely father/daughter reunion in this one. I don't think Bellamy and Alessia will fight much anymore...I mean, obviously they'll fight about little things and I think there's only one big blowout in 1x11 but they get over it pretty quickly. Thanks, you know, I actually struggled with the Commanding Officer Bellamy line and rewrote it about a thousand times, a thousand different ways, but I liked that one the best. Yep Calix is still alive! Things are going to get supper complicated real soon. Especially in Season 2. Bellessia jokes will never stop! Hey, no I completely get it! I have midterms this week so I'm trying to get all my writing done this weekend so I can study. Thanks for taking the time to review though!

**Pluv143000: **It will definitely stir up drama. Tons of drama. Here's the update! Hopefully you needed a The 100 fix today to...quite honestly I need one every day!

**Maggie: **Um, I guess it will sort of be a love triangle? I'm not really sure it doesn't sound like you're too happy about it but the thing is with this love triangle it's going to be very...special because Alessia's not really one to drag it out painfully like all the other characters in the history of time so she won't make as big of a deal with it as would Elena Gilbert on the The Vampire Diaries because...ugh, I'm not even going to get into that one. Bottom line, it'll be a tasteful love triangle. And it might not even last very long. Hey, but anyways, thanks for reviewing! Sorry if the answer wasn't satisfying...

**Peygoodwin: **Alessia and Bellamy won't be going anywhere soon don't you worry. Season 1 is theirs for the taking. Season 2 will be more complicated, but this _is _a Bellamy/OC. Calix won't "ruin" it but he will be a complication.

**Fangirl107: **Thank you!

**rockergirl6: **Thanks! Here's an update so no more need to wait!


	9. Unity Day

**You are all literally the best reviewers ever. Seriously like all your kind words make me smile every single update so I just wanted to thank everyone for that. And everyone who favorites, follows, and even reads, too, you are all equally as important and I know you're there just chilling in the shadows :) **

**To thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting ever since this story was published, I have something for you that will be revealed in the author's note of the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Unity Day**

"Sterling, it's not hard." Alessia stared at the young teenager blandly as she watched him position himself with the gun in his hand, staring straight ahead at a tin can she'd set up for target practice. Sterling was practically shaking in his boots with the heavy firearm in his hands, but he didn't say anything to discourage her teaching. "Look, you point...and you shoot. Point. Shoot. Got it? Go ahead, try it now."

She had been conservative with the bullets in their weapons, knowing that most would be duds but also relying on Raven to filter the bullets and for Monty and Jasper to make gunpowder for them as they promised so they could restock. However, there were still many downsides to open fire in camp. First, there was the potential of being heard by the Grounders; secondly, a bullet could accidentally hit someone; and third, she didn't want a recap of the incident they'd had a few days before when one of the delinquents she was attempting to teach panicked and ended up shooting off six bullets in a row, though (luckily) three of them were duds. Needless to say, he wasn't allowed to use a gun anymore.

Still visibly shaking, Sterling readjusted his grip on his weapon, tilted his head down to get within view of the tin can, and he slowly pulled the trigger back, bracing for backfire. The bullet spun in the air and hit the tin can dead on, knocking it off the long Alessia set it on and making it fall to the ground. Alessia smiled proudly, surprised and excited at yet another success with one of Bellamy's men, and she watched as a pleasantly shocked expression overcame Sterling's features.

He spun to her, the gun pointed straight at Alessia on accident. "I did it! I did it, I hit the can!"

"Yeah. You did it." Alessia cautiously clasped her hand around the barrel of the machine gun and grabbed it from Sterling's sweaty palms, watching as he rejoiced. She pointed the barrel to the ground and held the grip in her hand. "Now all you've got to worry about is making sure you can hit the Grounders."

Sterling paused. "Well...what's so different about it? You point and you shoot, right?"

"Yeah. But they aren't tin cans, Sterling, they move. Fast." Alessia watched Sterling's face fall into a hard line. She grinned and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Relax. You'll be fine. Anyways, I think that's enough training for today." She handed the gun back to Sterling cautiously. "Take this but...be careful, okay? Don't point it at anyone, understand?"

"Yeah. Got it. Thanks."

"It's my job," she quipped with a smile and walked away from him. It might've been a joke, but it all honesty, it _was _her job since she, Clarke, and Bellamy came back from the depot. Since she was put in charge of training and all the weapons, she was basically taking over her dad's entire job description, minus the part where he punished everyone as he saw fit. She didn't want to be a part of the decision making, but she had to admit that training the 100 gave her a strange sense of satisfaction. She never liked guns, but she was always good at them, and the fact that training the delinquents had somehow brought her closer to them made her time on Earth a hell of a lot easier. Guess they all realized that she wasn't such a bad person after all; that, or Bellamy threatened them all into being nice to her.

Faintly, she could hear Chancellor Jaha's Unity Day speech from the communications system that Raven set up for everyone to view publicly for the celebration. Although Unity Day was a day to celebrate the unification of the Ark and its twelve stations, it was never a holiday Alessia liked...primarily because it was her father's favorite holiday, being a patriot and all that. Some families had Unity Day traditions like reading the story of the Ark at midnight or whatever they wanted to do with their children, but Alessia? Her Unity Day tradition was getting drunk.

Unfortunately for her, Monty was all out of moonshine. One might think that she'd be sick of all the moonshine after it was practically prescribed to her by Clarke for a few days straight, but her Unity Day tradition couldn't be broken, especially under the circumstances. She could be sick of it after Unity Day.

As Alessia walked across the camp, avoiding the growing crowd around the video screen with Jaha's live speech, she spotted Finn and Clarke by the drop ship door. She caught the end of their conversation, walking forward and watching curiously as Clarke turned her head for a brief moment, caught sight of Raven, and then turned and walked away from Finn without a word. Finn watched her leave and Alessia, being the meddler that she was, stepped up to his side a few seconds after Clarke had gone.

"Ouch. More drama, Spacewalker?"

"Raven knows," Finn said quietly, earning Alessia's confused attention. "I don't know how, but she does."

Alessia widened her eyes. "This isn't just drama now, it's drama _trauma. _What did she say about it?"

Finn shrugged. "'I know.'" The brunette waited for her friend to give her a more elaborate answer, but Finn just stood there. "That's it. She said 'I know' and then..."

"Then?"

"Well, we were kind of about to..." Intentionally, Spacewalker trailed off to allow Alessia to come to the conclusion on her own, and after a while, Alessia crossed her arms and cleared her throat.

"Wow. So much more than I would've liked to hear."

Finn sighed. "It doesn't matter anyways. Clarke won't even spend more than ten seconds without looking like she'd...hurt a puppy or something and then run off. Sort of like she did now."

"That's Clarke for you." Alessia's voice was somber, but she let out a small laugh thinking about the year she'd spent with her friend. "She feels guilty...over literally everything. I think I broke a toe when I was seven because I tripped over one of Wells's toys he'd been playing with at her house and she started crying because she thought it was all her fault because we were in her room when it happened."

"She was seven."

"She was Clarke," she returned pointedly. "But trust me, given the right circumstances, Clarke will come to realize that not everything's her fault. Gradually."

Finn was silent for a while, thinking to himself for a moment or two before he opened his mouth again and spoke. "I guess while we're on this topic again, how's your situation?"

"Whatever do you mean, Spacewalker?" Alessia sighed dramatically. "I'm just a busy old worker bee, teaching uneducated soldiers how to wield weapons against all powerful—"

"I meant Bellamy." Finn's voice was flat. She turned to him with a scowl.

"Yeah. I know what you meant. Take a joke." Feeling her hair slip out of the ponytail that had gotten loose over the past few days, Alessia reached up and started to retie it as she talked nonchalantly. "There's nothing to tell. Your love life's the one that's screwed up, not mine. I don't have one."

She never did like talking about her love life, whether it be with Finn or Clarke or Wells. Clarke and Wells only knew about Calix because she enlisted them into helping her at times to distract Kane, be her alibi, or be a lookout for him whenever she slipped out. She was always more inclined to share things about Calix with Clarke, but even before Calix, there had been plenty of males in her life—rebellious teenage males who hit on her and she took the opportunity as an enriching experience.

"Oh...okay." She watched as Spacewalker nodded slowly. "So that wasn't you I saw sneaking into his tent every night since you came back from the depot?"

Alessia's eyes widened as she looked forward and she turned slowly to face him. "Finn! You were supposed to be resting! You got stabbed with a freaking knife for Christ's sake!"

"Now you're just trying to change the subject," he pointed out lowly. She pursed her lips at him and, after a while, eventually caved.

"All right, _fine. _You win, Spacewalker. Just don't tell anyone, okay? I don't feel like having my entire personal life broadcasted for everyone to...I don't know 'tweet' about." Alessia paused. "Tweeting was a thing back in the old days, right?"

"I guess?" He shrugged unsurely, but she waved it off dismissively without a care. Finn looked at her with concern. "You sure you know what you're doing with him?"

"Oh, my God, Finn! What are you, my dad?" She rolled her eyes. "Look, if it makes you feel better, Bellamy and I haven't had sex."

"Hey!" Finn stepped back and away from her with his hands up in front of his chest. "_So _much more than I would've liked to hear!"

"I just can't think about that right now." Alessia crossed her arms over her chest and looked out into the crowd. "I feel like I'm cheating. But it's not technically cheating, right? It's been an entire _year_, you know."

"What are you talking about?"

"My boyfriend," Alessia clarified, turning to Finn and away from the crowd. "Calix Mercer, he was a guard on the Ark. Technically, he's my ex-boyfriend but only because he was floated by my dad, who decided to be a complete dick and kill Calix because he loved me and broke Kane's precious little laws."

Finn stared at her, surprised. "Wow. That's...terrible."

"Yeah. I get that response a lot," she mumbled. It wasn't that she was emotionless about the situation, though she wish she could be, it was more that she didn't want to fall back in her old routine that she had spent so many months on when she was in solitude. Every thought she had about him consumed her and she felt guilty—with reason—for being the one to get Calix killed. If not for her father being the one to sentence him, he might've gotten a chance. It was slim, but he could've. But wasting every second of her time after his tragedy seemed like a bad idea. "You, on the other hand, don't really have an excuse. I mean, my boyfriend _died. _Your girlfriend was still alive just...in space."

"I didn't think she'd ever come down! Especially not in an illegally launched pod."

Alessia stared coldly, her 'seriously?' look written all over her face. Right as she was about to say something, Jasper came sprinting out of his and Monty's tent, holding a steaming bucket with goggles covering his eyes.

Jasper came out shouting. "Wooo! Yeahhhh! Monty strikes again! Hey, call this batch Unity Juice! Who's first?"

The entire crowd of teenagers cheered and circled around Jasper with their cups out in front of them. Alessia, losing all track of her in-depth conversation with Finn, gasped and gripped his shoulders tightly with a smile.

"Well, Spacewalker, when all else fails..." She leaned forward and whispered, "get _hammered_. Which is exactly what I plan to do!"

Without waiting for him to follow, Alessia walked towards Jasper, grabbed a cup extended to her by Margot who came to join her in their fight for Monty's first batch of moonshine for the day.

* * *

Clarke spotted Bellamy standing outside the rush of teenagers in the center of camp, all playing games and chatting amongst themselves while holding a cup full of alcohol in their hands. Walking up to him, she smiled courteously.

"Hey. The comms are still dead," Clarke informed him. "They cut out during the pageant."

"Best Unity Day _ever_." He smiled, earning her to laugh. But after a moment, when Clarke looked around the crowd, he felt her serious tone kick back in.

"Do you really think now is the good time to be having a party? I mean, with the Grounder still out there—"

"The _Grounders. _By now, he's probably putting together a lynch mob." He watched Clarke's face fall. "Relax. I've got security covered."

Clarke shook her head tightly. "You? Where's Alessia?"

"She decided to take the night off." Bellamy tilted his head towards the dark-haired girl by the fire cackling with Margot and Monty, head over heels drunk. Bellamy smiled and looked back at Clarke. "I let her. She deserved it with all the progress she's made with everyone we've assigned guns to."

"Her father's the commanding officer of the Ark, what did you expect?" Clarke scoffed. "She's been training with guns since she was a girl. There was a time when I was afraid of it." The blonde paused, looking at the crowd again before crossing her arms. "You know, I'm sort of surprised that she actually agreed to handle the security around here. She hates taking part in leadership."

"Really? Because she bosses me around enough." Bellamy bit into his apple nonchalantly, trying to make sure Clarke didn't get any ideas about him fishing for answers. Clarke shrugged.

"She might not like it, but she can't help that she does it. It's an affliction, we all have them."

Bellamy watched Clarke as her face fell and she looked out into the crowd in envy and exhaust, and he could see her desire to join the crowd but her own affliction was starting to show—she felt like she needed to stay sober and be in charge. Realizing this, Bellamy shifted.

"Hey, why don't you get a drink? You look like you could use one."

"I could use more than one."

"Then have more than one." Bellamy grinned. "Clarke, the exodus ship carrying your mother comes down here in two days. After that, the party's over. Have some fun while you still can. You deserve it, too."

"Yeah. Okay." Clarke agreed after a while, nodding her head slowly and inching towards the fire. She managed to get about five steps before she turned around at him. "So do you...by the way."

He shrugged. "I'll have my fun when the Grounders come."

"You could wait for that. Or..." An amused look crossed Clarke's face as she backed away and flickered her eyes towards Alessia, who was receiving another dose of Monty's strong alcohol. She could barely keep upright, but somehow managed not to fall flat on her face. Clarke watched as Bellamy's eyes followed hers and then she backed off, disappearing into the crowd before he had a chance to look back. Deep in thought, Bellamy bit into his apple slowly and watched her, feeling slightly creepy while he did it, but he didn't care.

"Miller," Bellamy said slowly without taking his eyes off of Alessia. Miller stepped up behind him with a gun relaxed in his arm.

"Yeah?"

"Watch the perimeter for a while." Bellamy pulled the gun off of his back and handed it to one of the other men beside him absently. Without another word, he walked off.

"Wait, where are you...?" Miller trailed off, confused, but watched as Bellamy walked over to Alessia, grabbed her hand, and said something to her. He moved with or without her consent and dragged her along, but while he did so, she downed the rest of the moonshine she had taken and left the cup with Jasper, who returned to filling cups like nothing was wrong. Miller, however, turned to his three delinquent friends beside him and they all looked at each other curiously, wondering what the hell was gong on between Bellamy Blake and Alessia Kane.

* * *

"Are you insane? What are you doing taking me from the middle of the crowd like that? These people aren't blind, they can see, Bellamy—"

Bellamy interrupted her scolding by pushing her up against the first tree he saw at a safe distance both from and to the camp in a darkened area where no one would see. She used her leg as a stop once her back was roughly pinned against the bark and she rested her head up on it, her chin tilted to look up at Bellamy's eyes.

"It's Unity Day."

"Yeah. I think we've established that." She giggled, unlike the real her but very much like the drunk her. Bellamy frowned.

"You're wasted, aren't you?"

"It's a personal tradition of mine, I like to get drunk on Unity Day. Takes the edge off." Alessia rolled her eyes. "But does it really matter to you?"

"Nope." He kissed her without caring; most guys would've said the opposite, that they didn't want to take advantage of a girl when she was drunk because she'd do something she'd regret in the morning, but the difference was, Bellamy knew that Alessia being drunk or not being drunk wouldn't make much of a difference. She was just more graciously inclined to do what he said when she was drunk, which made it easier for him in a constant power struggle with her every single day of the week. Just thinking about her backtalk made him kiss her harder, determined to shut her up before she could protest like she'd done all the other times. But he didn't really think much with his head, and soon enough, his hands were all over her body and his lips slid down to her jaw, over her ear, and down her throat to her neck, where he heard her groan and eventually, inevitably, said something.

"Blake, you're in dangerous territory."

"Kind of my intention," he mumbled just before she pushed him away, holding him at arm's length. She could see the annoyance in his eyes and she sighed.

"I'm drunk, but I'm not _that _drunk."

"Come on, Robin Hood." Bellamy grabbed her hands from his chest and pinned them together so he could step closer. "We've been at this for days. Not that I don't enjoy making out with you or anything, but your dad is coming down in two days. Once he's here, it'll be even harder to do this."

"Which makes it all the more fun," she whispered dramatically, causing Bellamy to groan.

"Kane, I'm _serious._"

"So am I." He watched her eyes as they trailed across his features, never focusing on one spot, until she moved back to his eyes again. "Look, there are just a few things that I need to think about first. I know what impatience feels like, trust me. But it'll be worth it in the end."

Bellamy stared, for quite a long time, a soft realization overcoming his face. "Wait a minute, Alessia, are you a virgin?"

He watched her dead serious expression turn to a straight up snort and she practically doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. Her hands softly touched his chest as she lost air in her laughs, practically unable to breathe at the amusement she was getting over one simple statement. Bellamy looked at her with a raised eyebrow and watched her as she laughed.

"So I'm gonna take that as a no..." he trailed off.

"H-Hell no!" she breathed through her chuckles, and they eventually died down after a while. He realized it was the affects of the alcohol giving her such a spontaneous combustion, but he found himself relieved as she told him the truth and leaned back against the tree. "Sorry to disappoint you, Messiah, but I'm not one of your innocent little girls in those Jane Austen books you were talking about before. I've had sex. Probably a lot more than I should have at this point."

He shrugged. "I never liked Jane Austen novels, anyways."

A small smile twitched at her lips as she stared up at him and he patiently waited for her to respond, but watched as the smile dwindled for a moment and a light spark in her bloodshot eyes clouded with the composition of alcohol in her system. An annoying internal struggle pushed and pulled within her—there was the good part in her that wanted to think about who she lost and be respectful of time, but on the other hand, she could only think of that reason to stop what both she and Bellamy had wanted. It had deterred her long enough, but that one excuse wouldn't hold up forever. It was starting to become a very tragic statement in her mind in a situation that she never thought would arise. But there was one truth that held evident in the back of her mind: no matter whom it was with or where it was or even when, at the end of the day, Calix was still gone. It wasn't fair to anyone to pretend like that would change. Bellamy watched her, already expecting the protest in the back of his mind seeing her look. But that look could go either way.

The next thing he knew, her hand twisted into his shirt and she pulled him forward onto her lips as she pressed herself as far as she could go against the tree. Bellamy didn't need much more convincing after that, because after all, he came out with her to get what he wanted and he was getting it. There was no space between their bodies and the air bled around them as if they were one figure alone. Alessia's arm came up and wrapped around Bellamy's neck, pulling herself closer to him, and his hands slid all the way up her back, sending a rush of chills down her spine as his fingers found the elastic of her hair tie and ripped it clean off, sending it right to the floor. If she had cared, Alessia probably would've reprimanded him for it, but she didn't have the time. Once her hair fell down in thick lumps around her shoulders, he pulled the jacket around her shoulders and let it fall to the ground, and she did the same, chucking it to the side. Her hands slid underneath his shirt and felt his searing skin. She remembered how he looked shirtless, or rather his after-sex look when he came out of his tent with the two girls trailing behind him, one now deceased after they'd gone to find Octavia. But it wasn't about looking anymore, there was only a white hot passion that burned as he broke their kiss long enough for her to lift the shirt off of his body and toss it on the ground with the rest of their clothes, and his chest pressed against hers again as he kissed her, but this time trailing down the way he had before, leaving a hot trail on her skin. She shuddered.

"What about the rest of them?" Alessia breathed out through heavy panting. Bellamy wasn't paying attention when he started to unbutton the top of her jeans, where her breathing increased drastically. He could hear her swallow thickly. "What if Miller comes looking for you o-or Sterling comes looking for me or—"

With a gasp from Alessia's lips, Bellamy had her jeans with the rest of their clothes and he pulled her onto his body suddenly, her body locking involuntarily with her unavoidable reflexes. His fingers dug into the bark behind her head.

"Just shut up."

* * *

Alessia and Bellamy slipped back into the camp together as if they had never been missing. As they walked forward further into the crowd that didn't seem to notice their extremely pleasant absence, Alessia twisted her hair into a self-sufficient bun low on her head as she mumbled, "Was it entirely necessary for you to rip that tie out?"

"I happen to prefer it down," Bellamy muttered with a grin hidden on his face. She chuckled lightly and shook her head without looking at him.

"God, you're such a guy."

"I think we established that about fifteen minutes ago..." Alessia turned to Bellamy with a half-smile on her lips trying not to laugh outwardly, but before she could say anything, Clarke approached behind Alessia, causing Bellamy to stop and hide the obvious smile settled on his face. "Having fun yet, Princess? I know I am."

"Bellamy," Alessia warned.

"I need to talk to you two," Clarke barreled on, ignoring their side conversation. They watched her and waited for Clarke to continue. "Finn's set up a meeting with the Grounders. I'm leaving to go talk to them."

Bellamy frowned at her angrily. "Because you figure that impaling people on spears is code for 'let's be friends'? Have you lost your damn mind?!"

"I think it might be worth a shot," Clarke hissed and looked at Alessia for confirmation. Seeing Clarke and Bellamy's eyes on her, Alessia held up her hands in defense.

"Hey, I'm neither the Prince nor the Princess. I'm just Robin Hood. I don't handle decisions like that." She looked at Clarke and Bellamy's equally unimpressed faces and sighed. "But, if I were to choose a side, I'd say that...if there's anything that can be done to stop a war, we should stop it. That doesn't mean that they can be trusted. I don't like the idea of you going alone, Clarke, you should let me come with you."

"That's why I'm here." Clarke nodded. "I need you to follow us, be our backup. Both of you."

"Does Finn know about this?" Bellamy asked intuitively. Alessia crossed her arms and gave him a look of confusion.

"Of course Finn doesn't know about this, Bellamy. Why would she be coming to you if he knew about this?"

"She's coming to you, too, Kane."

"Yeah, because I'm ten times better at shooting people than you—"

"Finn doesn't need to know," Clarke interrupted them, tired of wasting time. She wore an expression on her face, one that Alessia and Bellamy were both concerned to see. Clarke nodded at them. "And make sure you bring guns."

Without saying anything else, Clarke walked away to meet up with Finn and left Bellamy and Alessia to do the job she asked of them. Once their blonde leader was gone, Alessia and Bellamy turned at each other and dropped all previous, light-hearted after-sex conversation and went straight down to business.

"Go get some bullets from Raven, see if she's made any progress separating the duds from the piles we gave her. Oh, and find Sterling. I trained him earlier. He's a little rusty but he's a good shot—" Alessia commanded, but Bellamy shook his head at her.

"No, we can't take Sterling."

"Why not?"

"Because he has to stay here at the camp," Bellamy answered simply looking around with caution. "If we leave the camp unprotected, there could be an attack while we're gone. This could all just be a hoax, you know."

"All right. Fine. Fine, we can..." Alessia looked down at the ground and thought for a moment before snapping her head up. "All right, just see if you can find Jasper. He's a little quick to pull the trigger, but he can handle himself. Besides, between the two of us, we can cover his ass if he screws up. We just need the extra manpower."

"Done. You go get the guns?"

"Yep. Five minutes. Meet at the gate."

"Got it." And they split ways to do what they had been assigned, meeting at the front gate in five minutes when they were both done getting everything settled. Though Alessia came to the gate with what was promised, nothing less and nothing more, Bellamy trotted up with an extra person behind him. Raven stood with a gun in her hand that Alessia assumed Bellamy acquired so she couldn't give him heat about it, and for a moment, she thought about objecting, but shrugged.

"Sure." She handed Jasper a gun, handed Bellamy his, and kept one for herself. She looked at Raven. "You tend to lean on your left when you shoot. Center your balance and you'll be golden. Jasper...just don't shoot unless you're shot at. Got it?" Both of them nodded and Alessia looked up at Bellamy and gestured towards the gate. "After you, Messiah."

With a nod, Bellamy moved out of the camp's gates to follow Clarke and Finn's tracks. No one could be a better tracker than Finn was, but as it turned out, Clarke had already thought of that. She left a trail of the hallucinogen nuts behind her, strategically placed so that Bellamy and Alessia could follow their trail. Even without the nuts, however, between Jasper, Bellamy, Raven, and Alessia, they could manage to figure out which tracks were human and how fresh they were. Regardless, Clarke's clues helped tremendously.

Bellamy bent down and picked up a handful of them, clumped together by intent. He looked around. "At least they're good for something."

Alessia scowled. "Oh, you mean other than hallucinating our deepest fears?"

Bellamy didn't respond. Instead, behind the two, Jasper turned to Raven and said apologetically, "Sorry about bringing up Clarke earlier, that was awkward."

"Shut up," Raven snapped.

"Both of you shut up," Bellamy said to the two of them as he ignored the childish commentary and turned around with the gun ready to be cocked in his hand. Alessia took the cold bite and added a more effective command.

"The Grounders can be anywhere. In the trees, in the bushes. Just stay alert." She gave them an affirmative nod and Bellamy turned around without hesitation, moving forward at a faster pace than the rest of them. Alessia followed behind their leader and Raven and Jasper did as well, doing what Alessia said and keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity that could potentially mean an attack. The rest of their trail was mostly silent until the next morning where the light broke over the horizon and lit their walk. When Bellamy, Raven, Jasper, and Alessia finally came into view with Clarke and Finn through thick trees seeing that they stopped, Bellamy looked around.

"We can't stay here, we don't have a good vantage point."

"You're right." Alessia looked around as well, searching for a place to set up their weapons and watch Clarke's back as they were asked. She noticed that Clarke and Finn were stopped on a bridge, and therefore, she bit down on her lip and tilted her head to the left. "If they're on a bridge, there's got to be a shoreline somewhere beneath it. Come on."

She led the way this time, carefully stepping down the steep hill that brought them one step closer to the water. From the hill's bottom, it was a flat walk to the shoreline situated just a few feet away from the bridge, out of sight hidden by the thin trees both parallel to their bodies and some on the ground as an aftermath of the recent storm they'd weathered. They were in perfect view of Clarke and Finn, but what they didn't realize was that Clarke and Finn were not by themselves.

"What's Octavia doing here?" Jasper murmured as he looked upon the bridge to see Octavia standing a few feet away from Spacewalker and the Princess. Bellamy's eyes narrowed as he watched his sister with her front turned towards the other end of the bridge, and suddenly, the Grounder that Bellamy had captured and was forced to torture for the sake of Finn's life came running at her. And his sister did something far out of his expectations—she ran to him, too. Within seconds, the Grounder and Octavia were both locked in a passionate embrace. Jasper's voice was quiet. "Oh."

Raven scoffed. "I guess we know how he got away."

But in the next few seconds, they were all witness to the Grounder pulling away from Octavia and looking up at Clarke, who started to back away tentatively, but Finn turned around and grabbed Clarke's hand in his own. The atmosphere around the four shooters changed in an instant, where not only Bellamy knew that one of the closest people to him was lying. Alessia watched as Bellamy suddenly pulled the gun closer to his face, resting it on his arm, and pointed his weapon right at Octavia and the Grounder all protective-brother like. Alessia reached out and pulled the gun down to his side with a stern look on her features.

"Don't," she warned. Bellamy opened his mouth to speak, but from behind them, Raven gasped.

"Look!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction she was, which happened to be on the farthest side of the bridge where three horses stepped out into view, carrying three Grounder riders on their backs. The sight was extraordinary, but they only dwelled for so long. The shooters could see Finn rush forward with Clarke's hand in his and say something aggressively, but they were too far to hear what was going on, only far enough to observe it. The Grounders, excluding the one on Octavia's side, stood on the left side of the bridge while their people stood on the right. No one moved until Clarke walked forward, first with Finn, then without, to come face-to-face in the middle of the bridge with the Grounder who had been on the chestnut horse.

Bellamy, Jasper, Raven, and Alessia watched with high alert as Clarke and the Grounder conversed, somewhat awkwardly and coldly at the beginning until eventually, their conversation softened, as did the leaders. Raven pulled her gun up to her face and looked at Clarke and the Grounder from a distance before noting, "Grounder Princess looks pissed."

Bellamy shrugged. "Our Princess has that effect."

"Oh, no." Alessia turned her head to see Jasper looking through the gun to the trees on the other side, obviously noticing something. "Oh, no. No! This is bad."

"What's bad?" Alessia asked him. Jasper shrunk, coiling into himself with a pale look on his face. "Jasper! Words, please!"

Practically shaking, Jasper looked through his gun more and eventually hissed, "There's Grounders in the trees."

"What?" Raven exclaimed.

"Where?" Bellamy inquired, trying to search for them himself. Both him and Raven began to panic.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't see anything."

"Everyone calm the hell down!" Alessia demanded of them, pulling her gun up to her eye to survey the situation herself. She looked through the eyepiece for a while and, sure enough, she could make out the figures that Jasper had seen. Jasper shook nervously and everyone was panicking visually besides her. First rule of combat: never panic. Bringing the gun down from her eye, she looked at the three of them. "Bellamy, Raven, keep looking to see if you can find them and when you do, keep an eye on them. We need to wait until they shoot somet—"

"They're gonna shoot," Jasper rushed out hurriedly.

"Jasper, don't—"

"Clarke, run!" Jasper's voice rang out across the water, giving warning to their leader on the bridge with the Grounder in front of her. Alessia attempted to stop Jasper, but he was far too gone before she could do anything. Jasper stepped out into sight with his gun pointed up. "Run!"

His gun fired off multiple rounds, immediately striking war amongst them and the Grounders without a single hesitation. Once he had done it, there was no going back. The entire bridge became an uproar, and Jasper fired off at the men in the trees until one of them was struck down and fell out to his inevitable death. Alessia spotted the Grounder with Clarke on the bridge, watching as she just about struck Clarke down but was stopped when Alessia put a bullet right through her shoulder with pinpoint accuracy. The Grounder did a complete 360 turn away from Clarke, and Clarke turned her head back to see that her friend had her back as promised. Raven and Bellamy were beside her, firing blindly in the trees, waiting until they hit something. Alessia watched as Finn rushed up to her.

"Clarke! Get down!"

An arrow launched at Clarke's head and the blonde dove onto the bridge away from it, the arrow barely missing her flesh. Once the man with the arrow he had seen beforehand was out in the open, Jasper open fired until the man came down from the trees with three bullets in his chest, falling right to the ground to be with the other Grounder he had killed. Too many arrows from the trees launched and Alessia shot at all of them, missing some and hitting others. She could hear Bellamy's gun come up empty, having run all out of the bullets they had loaded in beforehand, but she still had rounds left. Arrows were flown left and right, all aimed at her and those on the bridge, but she ducked out of the way and hit whoever she could spot. The Grounders riding the horses all fled the gruesome scene and Bellamy grabbed Alessia's arm, tugging her back into the forest as her rounds came to a finish. Raven and Jasper were far ahead of them, and eventually, everyone ended up running right alongside each other. Finn, Clarke, Octavia, Jasper, Bellamy, Alessia, and Raven, they were all side by side as they ran as far away as they could from the bridge, the hopeful idea of peace absolutely spoiled.

* * *

Once the seven had all returned to camp later that night, everyone stopped inside their walls and caught their breath from all the running they'd done to make sure that they weren't killed by a Grounder on their territory. No one spoke for at least a minute, but after that minute was up, everything that had happened at the bridge came out in view. Finn looked at Alessia, Bellamy, and Clarke with disdain in his eyes, and having the courage to speak up, Bellamy snapped at him.

"You got something to say?"

"Yeah!" Finn turned to Clarke. "I told you no guns!"

"I told you we couldn't trust the Grounders!" Clarke shouted at him. "I was right!"

"Why didn't you tell me what you were up to?" Raven scolded Finn from behind him. He turned halfway to her.

"I tried, but you were too busy making bullets for your gun!"

"You're lucky she brought that!" Bellamy countered at him. "They came there to kill you, Finn!"

"You don't know that!" Finn exclaimed. "Jasper fired the first shot!"

"Yeah, and I told him not to!" Alessia chimed in, looking at Jasper with a shake of her head. "But it doesn't matter whoever the hell fired the first shot, the second that Grounder Princess realized that Clarke was distracted, she went right at her! If that doesn't tell you what kind of people they are, Finn, I don't know how else to explain it to you!"

"You ruined everything." It was Octavia who spoke, not at Finn, but as Jasper, with incredibly cold eyes. He noticed them and watched as Octavia turned her back and walked away from the group angrily.

"I saved you!" Jasper shouted after her, but Octavia didn't turn around, just merely kept walking forward, deeper into the camp. He scoffed to himself and walked away from the group as well. "You're welcome."

"Well, if we weren't at war already, we sure as hell are now." Finn gave the four left a disappointed look and inevitably turned at Clarke again. "You didn't have to trust the Grounders. You just had to trust me."

Once Finn was gone, Raven followed him, and then there were three. The three that had come up with the plan in the first place were left standing by the front gate. The guilt was seen in Clarke's eyes as if there was a blinking beacon, but Bellamy turned and looked after Finn with a heavy sigh.

"Like I said, best Unity Day ever."

"He was right, you know." Alessia crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Bellamy and Clarke. "Jasper fired the first shot and I _told_ him not to."

"The Grounder was aiming for Clarke," Bellamy returned pointedly. "If he had waited, like you said, for him to fire, Clarke could've died."

"But she wouldn't have, Blake!" she responded angrily hearing him test her patience. Bellamy watched her as her eyes turned wide and she dropped her arms from her chest. "Do you know how many hours I spent going over strategies with my father? I know what kind of an asshole he is, but he's good at his job. I learned from the best. So if you're gonna put me in charge of a job like this, let me do my goddamn job!"

"I never said you can't do the job, I just said that your way would've gotten Clarke killed. Which is exactly what your father would've done," Bellamy returned. He saw a flash of anger cross her eyes and braced himself for the consequences of his words, finding them to hurt less every time she argued, but before Alessia could go off on him, there was an explosion sound at a distance, and both Bellamy and Alessia turned around to see Clarke staring up at the sky. When the two looked up at the starry night, they observed something shooting across it with a purple ring around the object as it descended. It wasn't a shooting star or a comet or anything of that sort.

"The exodus ship?" Bellamy asked aloud quietly, staring up with a confused look. "Your dad's early, Robin Hood."

"Oh, joy." Alessia felt her hair come undone behind her head and she watched as it fell down in clumps over her shoulders. With a heavy sigh, she removed her eyes from the sky and began to twist it up again, managing to get it tight enough to last for the next couple hours. As she knotted, she mumbled, "You ready to see your mom, Clarke? Because I can tell you, seeing my dad after all this time will sure as hell be—"

"Wait." Alessia brought her hands down from her hair slowly as she finished the knot and found Clarke with a dropped smile on her face. Alessia's eyes flickered at the sky and she watched as the exodus ship no longer radiated a beautiful purple but turned a fiery orange. "Too fast. No parachute? Something's wrong..."

The exodus ship came barreling towards the ground, and before Alessia could ask what it was that Clarke was thinking of, the exodus ship crashed and from the impact came a dust cloud from a faint explosion, and both she and Clarke stood facing the mushroom cloud of fire hailed from the exodus's crash. After a few moments, she heard Clarke start to panic, dropping straight to the ground, but Alessia just stood, frozen still with realization, absolutely lost.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**CyberGirlfriend: **The struggle :P Thanks for reviewing!

**Pluv143000: **Thank you! I say they progressed a lot in this chapter...but yeah, the complications in Season 2 with Calix will definitely be a trip and a half for everyone. So Marcus won't find out about Alessia and Bellamy until Season 2, seeing as all communications blew out in this episode and Alessia basically thinks her dad's dead now (which is obviously not the truth and we all know it but she doesn't). Kane will definitely not be happy about Bellamy and Alessia but the thing is, he's not going to realize it until like halfway through Season 2 but Bellamy obviously knows that Kane is her father, so when Kane imprisons him at the beginning of the second season, it's going to be real interesting for Bellamy to kind of think "oh, look at that, my girlfriend's father is locking me up in the Ark. Irony abounds" and all that stuff. Anyways, here's the chapter!

**Momsen-xxxx: **Yay! I completely agree with you. Calix being alive is a great thing. Lol yeah they are pretty cute :) I think we all ship them...anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**Aileen O'Neill: **That actually means a whole lot. Thank you for saying that. One of the biggest things I struggle with are keeping characters in check and Marcus and Bellamy are two characters that I struggle with a lot so it's really nice to hear that I'm doing okay at it. I can't wait to see them interacting on the ground, either! Should be fun! Thanks for the review!

**BrittWitt16: **Your reviews crack me up! I can't handle it like I'm laughing while doing this response. Anywho, the whole Bellamy/Clarke/Alessia thing is the trifecta that I was going for. I've been aiming for that ever since they came to the ground because I enjoy parallels and they make me happy. It was kind of in this chapter more because Bellamy and Clarke kind of looked at Alessia to make a decision and she was like "slow your roll, I'm not a leader...oh, shit, maybe I am" and that sort of thing. Um, so Bellamy and Alessia kind of got...a forest? Is that an expression? Yes, it's going to be very hard in Season 2. But thanks for the review!

**Iwannabelikeme: **Well now I know that someone actually reads these things so thanks :) Yeah, that's actually going to be one of the things that Alessia kind of realizes in Season 2 when Calix comes down, she has a relationship with Bellamy that she's never really had before. Obviously she'd had other boyfriends before Calix but none of them were as serious as they were but their relationship was more built on sort of that forbidden love type of thing and Bellamy and Alessia are more built on this tension that they've had since the very beginning in this sort of power-struggle that they just can't seem to quit because they're a lot alike. It's actually funny you say that about the other Bellamy OCs because I know exactly what you're talking about. I never planned on doing a The 100 story so I decided to read some and when I read them, I thought, like, some of the characters are just the same. I never even considered the thought of Alessia being innocent because honestly, I've exhausted that angle too much. Oh, yeah, don't even get me started on TVD's love triangles, I'm literally going to flip my shit. I can't stand the fact that they're dragged on and on forever it's just too much. This whole Calix/Alessia/Bellamy thing will be entirely resolved by the end of Season 2 at the latest, but she's not going to be annoying about it for the entire season. Well this was a pretty detailed response so I completely understand. Thank you so much for reviewing and I'm really glad you're enjoying this story!

**thenightowl57: **I know! This is intense! Thanks for the review!

**pureO: **Thank you! I really hope that you're right about that, sometimes I feel like all my fan fictions are cheesy and stuff but I really appreciate you saying that actually. And that's a real relief to hear about the characters, I'm always apprehensive about that and I know I say it a lot but it really is one of my biggest problems when I'm writing because I don't really think it's right to read a story where the characters aren't themselves, and the same applies to an actual TV show. You can't go and change the character when you feel like it, you know? Trust me, this story isn't going anywhere soon! We'll see about Raven, but Alessia and Raven have very similar personalities so it's kind of hard to make them be friends considering. But they might bond in Season 2 after what happens with Finn. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**WinchesterDixonBros: **Thank you! Here's the chapter!

**Guest: **Here's the update!

**Guest: **I know who you are smiley :) And I know Bellessia is your favorite thing ever for some...strange reason. This obsession of yours is unhealthy.

**GUessst: **Thanks! I would never, ever make my characters get together in the third chapter unless by some weird force of nature it works with the story. The only reason I even decided to get Bellamy and Alessia together so soon is because I felt like it would just be a big circle if I never had them together before like the last episode or something. So, you kind of got to see the apprehension Alessia has about being with Bellamy in this chapter. I mean, she thinks Calix is dead which kind of makes her feel guilty about being with Bellamy but I'm thinking that somewhere in the back of her mind there's that little voice telling her that...well, Calix _is_ dead and it _has_ been a whole year. It doesn't make much sense for her to keep waiting around for someone who's not coming back (of course, he will be coming back but that's just straight up irony right there lol). Yeah, I mean, as you know I said that it definitely won't turn out to be a love triangle like TVD so there's no need to worry. Anyways, thank you for reviewing!

**narelclollie: **Thank you so much! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!

**Holly: **Thank you! I am proud...really proud, actually, and I couldn't have asked for a better turnout honestly. Yeah I tried to build it up but I made sure that it's not like over-the-top where everyone's waiting 50 years just for a kiss. Thank you so much for reviewing!

**ambrosesdixon: **Thank you! Yep, Badass Alessia :) Lol well I'm hoping that you didn't completely drop your laptop with what happened in this chapter...that would be bad. Calix and Bellamy WILL remember each other and it will be amazing. I'm actually super excited to write it because they were legit friends, even more so when they were both kicked out of the guard and what's even better is that flashbacks will reveal that Calix actually talked to Bellamy about Alessia and he never even noticed it. Obviously Calix never had mentioned her name, but it's sort of irony to the brim. Ha, I never really thought about that. Would Kane be Team Bellamy or Team Calix? Well I can tell you that in Season 1 he's definitely Team Calix because he just got used to the idea of having Calix be with his daughter but I think it's evident in the show that Kane actually admires Bellamy for taking charge so I think he might just leave Alessia up to this one on her own. But yes, he does have to fix his relationship with her first, which will inevitably be hard of course. Baby steps indeed. I hope you got enough Bellessia for this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!


	10. I Am Become Death

**So since you guys are amazing and wonderful and practically obsess over Bellessia, one of my friends convinced me to make a video for them so I started a few days ago and it just...happened again. If you find the YouTube link on my profile, it'll be the most recent video uploaded! Enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**I Am Become Death**

The crash site was covered in dirt and debris, complete with charred skeletons and flesh-covered limbs. Fires were all around the remnants of the ship, the forest around it scorched by the explosion from the impact. There was not a single soul alive, not a single survivor standing. Alessia walked around the crash site, looking for anything that could be salvaged from the explosion, staring at the dead bodies wondering if one of them happened to belong to her father. Not a single tear burned in her eyes and all she felt inside was a whole big pile of nothing. Was it normal? She had no idea. She knew that her father was dead and perhaps it hadn't sunk in yet.

She could hear Bellamy, Raven, and Finn fighting a few feet away from her, but she just looked down at the debris beneath her feet with dry eyes and no thoughts in her head. It was a while before she heard a voice louder than the others and realized that it was directed towards her.

"You shouldn't be here."

Alessia looked up to find Bellamy standing a few feet away from her, a gun positioned in his hands so tight she could see the white in his knuckles. She hadn't been allowed to take a gun, for a reason that she didn't object to because she didn't feel like it. Alessia avoided Bellamy's eyes, knowing that there was a sad light in them, but she didn't feel like seeing it. Swallowing, she stepped forward and reached out at his hands to pull them loose.

"Don't hold the gun so tight. It'll cramp your fingers so it'll be harder to pull the trigger if you have to. Just relax." Her voice was hard and stern, yet soft and quiet at the same time. A complete contradiction. She seemed unbothered by the sight around her, and it only made Bellamy more worried. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, there was a shout from Raven.

"Clarke, stop!" Both Alessia and Bellamy turned to watch as Raven rushed over to the distraught blonde by the rocket of the exodus ship. The two moved, following Raven's run and Finn's jog over to Clarke.

"Rocket fuel?" Clarke filled in.

"Hydrazine," Raven clarified as she squatted down next to the rocket. "Highly unstable in its non-solid form. If this stuff meets fire, we're all pink mist."

To demonstrate her point, Raven slowly dipped a piece of rock in the puddle of hydrazine Clarke was standing next to and she turned at everyone around her with a yell.

"Fire in the hole!" She chucked the rock far enough away for it to hit the surface of the crash site and explode in a cloud of fire clear of all their people. Seeing as her warning got to everyone, she turned to Bellamy and Finn and announced, "We need to clear the area."

"Okay, then." Bellamy turned to his men behind him and began to shout, but Alessia did it for him.

"Hey! We're heading back to camp. I want all of you in formation and your weapons hot once we get off the crash site! No straggling, you got that?" She heard a chorus of agreements from the men behind her and she soon realized Bellamy was staring at her. Distractedly, she looked at him with a shrug. "What?"

Bellamy stared at her, trying to form the words to explain what he was seeing, but he watched as Finn came behind Alessia with a concerned expression on his face and spoke for their leader.

"Alessia...maybe you should take a breather," Spacewalker suggested, causing her to turn around and look at him with a blank, confused expression. "Let Bellamy handle it for a while."

Bellamy and Finn exchanged a knowing glance above her head, but then, all of a sudden, Alessia started to laugh. She looked back and forth between Messiah and Spacewalker and just smiled at them.

"Guys, my dad died," she started bluntly, "it's not like the world exploded. I have things to do, a war to fight. You gonna help me or what?"

With a snort, Alessia walked off towards the woods where they came from and left Finn and Bellamy behind to process her words. She kept waiting for the sadness to hit her, but even as she said the blunt words to her friends, she didn't feel any sorrow towards her father being dead. It was strange, but she just...didn't. The only thought inside of her head was how the hell they were going to fight a war with an army ten times the size of theirs considering that there were no soldiers coming down to help them.

Because as if it weren't bad enough that they had to fight a war against experienced, extremist Grounders, now they had to do it all alone with limited supplies. There was no time to think about her dead dad, no time to mourn him. So she walked on.

* * *

"Jasper, tell us again, how'd you stay so calm? I would've been terrified." Margot, Monty, and Octavia listened to Harper ask Jasper such an in-awe question while a group of people stood around him, all oozing with admiration.

"Fear's only a problem if you let it stop you, right?" Jasper countered. Octavia looked out of the gate, her eyes locked on a single white flower hidden in a tree that was meant to signal her, but both Monty and Margot were staring at Jasper, both with different expressions on their faces. Monty was proud; Margot was disgusted.

"Finn should get a copyright on that saying so idiots like Jasper can't just steal it out of the air like that," Margot hissed at her friend as she stared at Jasper with her arms crossed over her chest. Octavia turned and listen as well to Jasper's recount of his "heroic" actions.

"I saw the Grounders in the trees. It was like...nothing I ever felt. You know, pure animal instinct took over. One pull of the trigger, two Grounders dead."

"'Pure animal instinct'?" Octavia repeated Jasper's line as she looked at Monty and Jasper with incredulity tracing her orbs. "More like pants-wetting panic."

"You're not even supposed to 'pull' the trigger." Margot scoffed, full of hatred. "You squeeze, damn it! It's like the first rule you learn!"

Jasper continued at the fire, "You don't really know what you're made of until a moment like that, you know, when it's kill or be killed? And there's just nothing between you and the tip of the spear."

Margot let out a frustrated groan. "Okay, someone cover me, I'm going in—"

"Come on." Monty softly stopped his friend from heading forward and Margot turned around with an annoyed gleam in her eye. "Let us have this."

"Us?" Octavia chimed from behind him. Monty nodded.

"Look at him. The boy's a folk hero. They even gave us a bigger tent!"

Margot rolled her eyes. "I know what it's like to be the underdog, Monty, but he's just plain arrogant now. This is not the Jasper who's my friend."

"Oh, come on, Margot, that's being a little melodramatic."

Before Margot could protest to Monty's far-off statement, there was a sound coming from outside the camp. The trip wire they'd set up to alert a Grounder attack made a noise, and someone shouted out the obvious fact. The entire crowd stopped what they were doing and everyone inquired to the noise, but Octavia was the first to jump. Lincoln's flower kept burning in her memory but she knew she couldn't just open the gate and walk out. Suddenly, there were three loud popping noises from a gun and the entire crowd gasped at it. Connor and Derek led the way from the front of the gate to where the trip wire had been triggered, and Octavia followed pursuit quickly, trying to get to the scene first in case it was Lincoln. She heard a scold behind her, but her head was throbbing thinking that they could've shot Lincoln.

"Octavia, be careful," Connor warned from behind her. Seeing the wounded body by a tree just on the edge of their camp, she slowly bent down and prayed to every God she was aware of that it wasn't Lincoln. Tentatively, she touched the body's shoulder and whoever it was jumped up at the slightest touch, causing her to coil back. The face was dark for a moment, but once Connor stepped forward with the torch lit brightly in his hand, it was clear who it was.

"Oh, my God."

"No way."

Octavia stared at the intruder caked in his own blood and shaking nervously on the ground. "Murphy?"

* * *

"Where is he?" Bellamy demanded as he, Finn, Clarke, and Alessia stepped into the drop ship upon the news that Murphy was back in the camp. Bellamy looked around at the spectators watching Murphy as if he were a caged animal. Lowly, he growled, "Everyone but Connor and Derek out...now!"

"He claims he was with the Grounders," Derek told their leader as the shuffling of the spectators sounded behind them and they were left with much more space than before.

"We caught him trying to sneak back into camp," Connor explained.

Murphy, curled up in a nook aware of the guns pointed at his head, murmured, "I wasn't sneaking. I was running from the Grounders."

"And where were these supposed Grounders?" Alessia asked Connor and Derek, looking up at them with expecting eyes. Both of them shook their heads. "So there weren't any, then?"

"Well, in that case—" Bellamy started, lifting his gun to point it right at Murphy's head. Just as he did, Finn jumped forward and smacked the gun down.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"We were clear on what would happen if he came back!"

Bellamy raised his gun again, but Finn stepped in front of it and protected Murphy with his own body. "No! If he was with the Grounders, then he knows things that can help us!"

"Help us? We hanged him, we banished him, and now we're gonna kill him. Get the hell out of my way."

"Knock it off, Blake," Alessia grumbled as she stepped forward to observe Murphy. Clarke moved forward as well to bend down at Murphy's side and examine him in a doctor-like manner. "Finn is right, we shouldn't kill him."

"Like hell he is! Alessia, think about Charlotte!"

"Charlotte doesn't have anything to do with this Bellamy, this is a strategy. Intel," she reasoned. "Right now, Murphy is nothing more than the equivalent of a video feed. He'll tell us everything he knows about his time at the Grounder's camp and if he doesn't, you can kill him. So he better not be lying."

"He's not," Clarke spoke from the floor as she looked at Murphy's fingers, her hands holding his blood-covered ones. "His fingernails were torn off. They tortured him."

"You and the Grounders should compare notes," Finn murmured to Bellamy bitterly. But Bellamy was tired of the sour comments.

"The Grounders know we're at war." He spoke to Murphy loudly. "What did you tell them about us?"

Murphy hesitated before speaking. "Everything."

The entire room fell silent realizing what it meant. After a long while, everyone could hear Alessia murmur under her breath. "Shit. Murphy, you goddamn idiot."

"They were torturing me!"

"What happened to Mr. Tough Guy, huh?" She spun around at him angrily. "Ready to fight me to the death? Held a knife up to my throat and threatened to cut through it? God, you're an embarrassment to all psychopaths out there!"

"Once he's better, we find out what he knows, and then he's out of here, okay?" Clarke reasoned with Bellamy, but didn't give him the chance to argue with her before she turned to walk out of the drop ship. But Bellamy turned back around at her.

"What if he refuses to leave? What do we do with him then?"

"Then we kill him," Clarke said simply and walked out. Once she was gone, Alessia bent down in front of Murphy with a cup full of water in her hand. She extended it to him and watched as he took it carefully and then drank like a savage.

"Drink up, Buttercup." Alessia lifted herself from her bent position and grabbed the cup once he was done. "Get better fast. I'm gonna have some fun with you."

* * *

It was when Alessia was grabbing the knife from her tent that she heard someone coming in. She expected it to be Clarke coming to get something, but she found that when she turned around and slipped the knife into her boot that it was Bellamy, watching her as she sighed and put her leg down on the ground.

"Sure, Blake. Come on in."

"We need to talk."

"Well, we can do that outside the tent, you know." She gave him a sour smile and pointed to the exit, where he stared for a moment and eventually held open the tent flap for her and they both stepped out into the air. Alessia didn't skip a beat as she headed for the drop ship. "So what do you want to talk about, Messiah? War strategies? Torture tactics? Hey, when am I going to get my gun back—?"

"Alessia, you're acting strange," Bellamy confessed. Alessia raised an eyebrow but didn't turn around at him. "And by acting strange, I mean...you're acting strangely normal."

"I'd say you're the one acting strange." She looked behind her shoulder at him. "I mean, when was the last time you called me Alessia? I think that's twice in one day now."

"See? That's what I'm talking about." Bellamy came to a stop and hearing him stop in his tracks, she reluctantly turned at him to find him staring, confused. "You're acting like what happened with the exodus ship never happened. That's not normal."

"What do you want me to do, Bellamy?" She stepped forward, now irritated. "Cry? Bury my head in the sand? My dad was an asshole. He killed people because of his own personal malice—he was a bad man. I knew that. The only reason I ever agreed to talk to him was because I told you I would so that you could let Clarke talk to Jaha on your behalf. In fact, he was probably as big of a dick as you are."

"Look, you can deal with your dad's death however the hell you want, Robin Hood." He said her name with emphasis and stepped forward closer to her. "You can call me whatever you feel like. But you're not spearheading this war because you're a ticking time bomb."

"I don't need this. I don't take orders from anyone. Especially not—"

She cut herself off feeling something strange trickling down her lip. Bellamy had stopped too, the leader-like tone drained from his eyes and a new concern stretched across his features. Alessia lifted her hand up and wiped the liquid off of her lips, only to pull it back and find that it was blood coming from her nose. She looked down at her blood-covered hands and shook her head.

"What the hell..."

"Clarke!" It was Connor who was yelling their leader's name, and Bellamy and Alessia turned around to see Clarke emerging from the comms tent with red streaks down her eyes.

"Connor?"

"It won't stop."

"What the hell is going on?" Bellamy murmured to himself as he looked from Connor, who was coughing up blood, to Derek, who was coughing up more blood. "Connor...Derek...Clarke..."

"Murphy," Alessia growled through her teeth and made a beeline for the drop ship. Bellamy followed right after her. Clarke was already inside the drop ship, bent over in front of Murphy speaking softly to him. Alessia could make out faint words, but she didn't care about what Clarke was saying. "Hey, dickhead! What the hell did you do to us?"

"They let him go," Clarke whispered under her breath. Alessia had been too fast for Bellamy to keep up, but eventually he rushed into the drop ship with a gun in his hand barreling right at Murphy. Instead, Clarke held up her hand at him. "Bellamy! Stay back."

"Alessia was bleeding and she said it was Murphy. Did he do something?" Clarke shook her head at him and seeing her shocked look, Bellamy's eyes widened as he realized something was wrong. "What the hell is this?"

"Biological warfare," Clarke replied as she turned back at him with a solemn expression. "You were waiting for the Grounders to retaliate for the bridge? This is it. Murphy's the weapon."

"At least you're useful to someone out there," Alessia snarled as Clarke tilted his head back against the wall and tried to clean up the blood on his face with a towel in her hand. She paced back and forth, but she could feel the energy that was draining inside of her, just refused to let it get into her head. Bellamy stood far enough away to not be contaminated.

"Is this your revenge? Helping the Grounders kill us?" he demanded. Murphy let out a sigh.

"I didn't know about this, okay? I swear."

"Stop lying!" Bellamy screamed. "When are they coming?"

"Murphy, think," Clarke urged him gently. "What can you tell us that's useful? Did you hear anything?"

But all Murphy was able to produce was a growl. "They are vicious. Cruel."

"You want to see vicious?!"

Bellamy moved forward to strike Murphy down, but instead, Alessia stepped in front of him and made sure not to touch him. "Don't. A blind idiot would even see that this thing gets spread through contact—maybe it's even airborne. You should get out of here now."

"Clarke?" Before Bellamy could get a chance to respond to Alessia, Finn came busting through the door of the drop ship looking for Clarke. She turned at him with urgent eyes.

"Finn, you shouldn't be in here! No one should."

"I heard you were sick. Clarke, what is this?"

"I don't know," she said slowly. "Some kind of...hemorrhagic fever. We just need to contain it before—"

Right as she was about to finish the sentence, there was a loud retching from the corner. Derek was convulsing on the floor, coughing up tremendous amounts of blood. Clarke moved right towards him, and Finn grabbed her arm, causing her to immediately backlash.

"Don't touch me!" Clarke snapped at him as she jerked her arm away. "You could get sick. You need to wash your hands. Now."

"What the hell is happening to him?" Finn asked as he moved behind Clarke to the water supply. She shook her head, absolutely confused, and everyone watched as Derek retched more and vomited his own blood with coughs until, finally, he collapsed on the floor without another movement. Clarke dropped to her knees and began to feel around for a pulse while everyone waited in anticipation and fear.

"Is he...?" Bellamy trailed off.

Clarke lifted her head and turned around. "He's dead." The entire room fell silent until Clarke got up off her knees and grabbed a canister of Monty's moonshine. "Here. Alcohol. Hold out your hand." Finn obliged her and let the germ-killer all over his hands, waving them out to dry them off.

"What do we do?" Finn inquired.

"Quarantine," Clarke replied. "Round up everyone who had contact with Murphy. Bring them here."

"And everyone they had contact with?" Bellamy pushed as Finn walked out of the drop ship. She looked at him slowly.

"Well, we have to start somewhere. Connor, who was with you when you found him? Who carried him in? Think!"

Connor answered her after a beat. "The first one there was Octavia."

* * *

A long while passed as the entire drop ship flooded with people who started having symptoms and were going to eventually if Clarke's predictions were correct. The third level was used for those who weren't symptomatic, but the rest of the drop ship was covered in sick teenagers coughing up their blood and covered in others. Alessia tried to stay up on her feet and help those who were at the worst of it, but she could feel her own body giving out. Regardless, she barreled through and paid no mind to her own health. Clarke had gone out to oversee the movement of the bodies of those who had died as result of the sickness, and all they could do was hope that it wasn't all their fates. But things outside turned from quiet to an uproar within seconds, causing Alessia to be concerned. She lifted the tent over the drop ship door and walked outside to see Clarke backing away from the scene.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Alessia said hoarsely as she looked around, her eyes strained at the sight of the setting sun. Clarke shook her head, unable to respond, and tired of all the screaming, Alessia walked inside and grabbed the the weapon that Connor had brought into the drop ship with him. Since she couldn't have her own gun for some stupid reason, she stole his and walked back out into the light, ahead of Clarke and off the drop ship's platform. Clarke stood behind her and watched as she fired three straight bullets up in the air, gaining everyone's attention. The entire crowd silenced and she looked around at them, pissed off.

"What did Clarke say when we brought these guns into this camp, huh?" she began, her eyes cutting through every single one of the guilty souls. Her voice reached a high point. "These weapons are _not _toys! They are _not _for your personal enjoyment! These weapons are meant to kill these goddamn Grounders who...might not even have enemies to fight if we kill each other first!"

Suddenly, one of the boys standing beside her turned his gun to point right at her. "They won't have to kill us if we all catch the virus. Get back in the damn drop ship!"

Alessia placed the gun on her shoulder and pointed it in a swift instant, but before she could do anything or think about anything, Bellamy had taken the gun from the boy and had punched the hell out of him so that the boy stumbled back into the ground, weaponless. He turned back and watched as Alessia lowered her weapon and Clarke stood idly at the drop ship door.

"Not to state the obvious, but your quarantine isn't working," he said to Clarke.

She looked like she was about to say something back, but before she could, Clarke started to fall, her knees buckling beneath her as her face went pale. Finn, who had been standing closer to the drop ship, ran over without a single hesitation and caught the blonde as she fell, letting her land right in his arms. Raven shouted a warning to him, but she was too late. By the time she told him not to touch her, Clarke was already in his arms.

"Hey," Clarke breathed out. "Let me go. I'm okay."

"No, you're not," Finn countered seriously. Her breathing quickened.

"Octavia will come back with a cure."

"There is no cure," said a shout amongst the crowd. Bellamy turned around to see his sister come out breathing heavily from a run back. "But the Grounders don't use the sickness to kill!"

"Really?" Bellamy turned and pointed at the dead bodies. "Tell that to them! I warned you about seeing that Grounder again."

"Yeah, well, I have a warning for you, too." She looked at the crowd and said louder, "The Grounders are coming! And they're attacking at first light."

The whole crowd murmured amongst themselves, and Octavia stared back Clarke and Finn before rushing forward to help them. Bellamy caught her arm, trying to detain her, but she jerked out of his grasp and walked with Finn and Clarke back into the drop ship. Alessia could feel her head spin, but she ignored it and watched as Bellamy turned to Raven.

"How many bullets can you make by first light?"

Raven said nothing, but Alessia watched them and muttered under her breath, "Not enough."

Right as she said the words, she started to feel the way that Clarke had looked before when she had fallen. Instead of falling, however, Alessia just stumbled slightly, her eyes opening and closing, readjusting to focus. She could make out Bellamy's figure as he moved forward but, in another swift movement, the gun was pointed at his chest.

"Stay away from me, Blake," she warned as she stumbled back. Bellamy stared at her and watched the color drain from her face. "I...might be infected, but I'm not your goddamn Princess. Find a way to fend off those Grounders."

Without waiting for a response, Alessia lowered the gun and moved back into the drop ship, her vision blurring and her head feeling immensely hot. The second she stepped through the door, she set the gun down softly beside Connor where she had gotten it and looked around for a moment, finding that there was an empty space right at her feet.

"This seems like a good enough place to sleep," she murmured, but she didn't even make it to lying down softly; she dropped right onto the blankets and a darkness eclipsed her eyes.

* * *

She wasn't sure, exactly, when it was that she resumed consciousness. It seemed like a while, but there was no way to tell. Instantly, she felt a very present wellness inside of her and she could tell that sleeping it off had done her some good. There was blood all over the area she was lying on, and she figured that it had to be her own since she had no recollection of the dark spots before her slumber. The sickness was still there, but it was beginning to fade. Her head was starting to clear and her eyes were more focused and sharp. They were so focused that she could see the people inside of the drop ship, all of the sick ones that were coughing or sleeping or vomiting around them.

And among them, she realized suddenly, was Bellamy.

"Damn it..." She forced herself up from her position and crawled over a few places until she managed to get to Bellamy, who was over on his side coughing up blood. Her hands found his collar and she waited for him to be done before rolling him back over. "Hey! Bellamy? Bellamy, are you okay?"

He groaned softly. "Where's Octavia?"

"I-I don't know."

"She was here...with me...earlier..." He started to cough again, and so she turned him back over on his side where the last of the blood came up. When he was done, he managed to turn back on his own, and his uncomfortably warm hand found her own on his jacket. He forced his eyes open. "Are you feeling better?"

"Who the hell cares?" Her grip tightened. "Are you okay?"

"I care." He coughed again, but didn't need to roll onto his side again. "And I'm fine. For now, at least."

"Good." She let out a deep breath in relief and relaxed her grip that was becoming too strong for her body to handle. The two sat in silence for a while, Alessia on her knees beside him and Bellamy lying down on his back barely able to stay awake. She wanted to let him sleep, but she was afraid that if he slept then he wouldn't wake up. And in that moment, where she really let herself think about what would happen if he didn't, she let it sink in that her father was dead. It was a slip, a small one, but it was enough for Bellamy to see.

He spoke softly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Something," he returned pointedly. She just sat still, looking at his fingers closed on the back of her palm and she didn't say anything. "Hey. Just...look at me," Bellamy whispered quietly and, reluctantly, she lifted her eyes to meet his. "You know, it's okay for you not to be Robin Hood sometimes, Alessia. You don't always have to be so strong."

She wanted to say something, but her throat closed up and she had no idea what to say, even if she could. Without realizing it, a single tear had come down her cheek, and that one tear caused a flood. She tried to stop it, lifting the hand that wasn't underneath Bellamy's to get rid of the tears she cried and let roll down her face, but she couldn't help it. The entirety of the situation was starting to sink in: her father was dead. Her father, whom she hated to no end but still loved and missed as dearly as a daughter could, was gone. She would never get the chance to start over, never get the chance to fix it.

Bellamy watched her cry, seeing the pain in her eyes as she let it sink into her head what had happened. He swallowed thickly and pulled her to lay down, in the midst of her sobs, next to him and he listened to her cry harder than he was sure she'd ever had. He didn't want it for her; he didn't want her to be in pain, but he also didn't want her to live however many years of her life focusing her attention on war or anger just to avoid the unavoidable truth. He'd had to face that fear of being alone when his mother was floated and his sister taken from him.

"I hated him," she whispered against Bellamy's shoulder. "I hated him _so_ much for what he did but now...he's dead and I don't know what to _do_."

He didn't say anything. He just pulled her closer and she sobbed into his chest without thinking, without reservations at all. Soon, the sobs died, and she glanced up at him to find him struggling to stay awake. Alessia lifted herself from his embrace and bit her lip.

"You should sleep. I'll—"

"Don't." He stopped her from going and she turned around at him to find him struggling to keep his eyes open just a little longer. "Just stay."

She looked at him, surprised, but didn't have it in her heart to object. Without saying a word, she went back down in his arms and listened to him as his slow breathing turned even and he fell asleep like she had before. She didn't fall back asleep the entire time that Bellamy was under, but just listened to the sound of his breathing and watched. It was strange, she realized, what a sickness could do to a person. Bellamy had tried to get her to talk to him before, but she wanted to believe that he'd never tell her anything like that unless he was sure he was about to die. But, maybe, she just didn't have Bellamy Blake all figured out like she thought.

He woke a while later, alerted and confused for a moment or two before Alessia lifted her head and let him sit up. She straightened as well, her hand still below his as they sat on the edge of the blanket they had been lying on, and he turned his body to her.

"How long was I out?" he asked groggily. She shook her head.

"I have no idea. I'll go get some—"

She moved to get up and get him water, but before she could, Murphy walked up to her side and extended a cup of water to Bellamy. He reached out and pushed it away roughly.

"Get the hell away from me."

"Bellamy, you're sick, okay? I'm just trying to help."

"Murphy, get lost," Alessia barked at him. "He doesn't want your help and, quite frankly, I don't, either. I'll help him."

"Well...here..."

Murphy grabbed a towel from beside him and extended it to Alessia, but she just frowned at him and waited for him to go away. As the silence ensued, Bellamy wiped his mouth on his sleeve and then growled to the traitor, "When I get better, if you're still here—"

"Hey." Clarke came up behind Murphy and jerked her head back. "I've got it."

With a sigh, Murphy handed Clarke the cup of water he'd gotten for Bellamy and, once he was gone, Clarke gave Alessia the water and she moved it to Bellamy, who took it with the hand that wasn't covering Alessia's. Clarke sat down on the other side of her friend and, as Bellamy sipped his water, Alessia turned to her.

"Are you feeling better, Clarke?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I'll...survive." Alessia's lips twitched softly and she looked at Bellamy before asking Clarke, "Hey, do you know where Octavia went?"

"She was up all night helping people. Murphy gave her a break."

"Don't tell me you trust him now," Bellamy scolded her from the other side of Alessia. Clarke practically scoffed.

"Trust? No. I do believe in second chances, though."

Things between the three were silent until Bellamy looked to the door of the drop ship and sighed. "It's almost dawn. We better get everyone inside. If we lock the doors, maybe the Grounders will think we're not home."

"Yeah, let's try our luck with that one," Alessia murmured facetiously.

"Not everyone's sick," Clarke contested.

"Sick is better than dead!"

Clarke paused. "You don't think Finn and Jasper are gonna pull it off."

"Pull what off?" Alessia looked between Clarke and Bellamy, confused. "No one's told me anything. What are Finn and Jasper doing?"

"Raven built a bomb out of the hydrazine that was at the crash site," Bellamy explained to her softly. "Finn's supposed to set up the bomb and I _was _supposed to shoot it to set it off, but since I got sick and you were sick and all of my other shooters were sick, I asked Jasper to go."

"Are you serious?" She scowled, but he showed no signs of a joke on his face, which she knew was the truth from the beginning. "Bellamy! Look, Jasper managed to get a few good shots at some Grounders at the bridge, but he won't be able to do this. Back at the bridge, it was a no-think-just-do thing. This is planned, strategic. We're all dead!"

Clarke, Alessia, and Bellamy were all quiet for the longest time before Clarke realized that Alessia's truth would most likely hold to be evident. The blonde let out a heavy exhale.

"I'll get everyone inside."

* * *

He only had so many bullets. Jasper shot and he shot and he shot at the bomb Raven had set up on the bridge, defying the plan that Finn was supposed to take it himself, but none of it mattered after the last bullet in his gun was gone and the bomb was still undetonated. Jasper pulled the trigger of his gun over and over again, staring down at it with wide eyes, wishing that there was another bullet hiding somewhere inside of the machinery. But they were all gone, every last one.

"Damn it!" Jasper cursed under his breath.

"You call that shooting?" Monty shouted as he emerged from the forest. Jasper turned around to see Monty and Margot follow up behind him with their backs hunched over. Jasper widened his eyes at them.

"Monty? Margot?" He watched them as they each came up to their sides. "L-Last time was a fluke...I-I panicked."

He had been so terrible to them. He kicked Monty out of his tent and he knew Margot was disgusted with his behavior, he just didn't acknowledge it. Monty waved his hand dismissively.

"So what? You still made the shot, right?"

"Twice."

With a nod, Monty handed the gun he had brought with him to Jasper and Jasper looked between Monty and Margot for motivation. Hesitantly, he asked, "How many rounds?"

"Three." Monty placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder. "You got this."

With a shaking breath, Jasper positioned the gun and looked through the eyepiece to see his target. He tried to keep a steady hand and he aimed straight at the bomb, but it missed again. The Grounders on the bridge all stopped and looked around for a shooter, and Jasper cursed under his breath again. He attempted a second time with Monty's annoyed voice in his ear.

"Did you not hear me say you got this?"

"Come on, Jasper, shoot." Margot hissed at him and with another deep breath, he pulled the trigger again. Another misfire. Right as he lined up his third and final shot, Margot groaned. "Oh, give me the damn thing!"

Without hesitation, Jasper handed Margot the gun and she looked straight through at the bomb and after lining up her shot, squeezed the trigger lightly. The bullet went off flying towards the bridge, and hit the bomb dead-on, causing the explosion to blast all the Grounders on the bridge right off. A dark cloud of smoke and ash rose above the bridge, able to be seen and heard by anyone in a hundred miles.

Jasper and Monty both looked at Margot, astounded, who took the gun down from the positioning rock proudly and handed it to Jasper. "You wanted pure animal instinct? There you have it." They just stared at her further, waiting for an explanation. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. My dad was a _little_ obsessed with me learning how to ward off the rapists."

In the distance, those who were at the camp could see the large grey cloud and realized that they had no reason to rush into the drop ship any longer. Jasper and Finn had done it—they delayed the attack, no matter how long the delay was for. Clarke, Bellamy, and Alessia were all pleasantly surprised at the success.

"They did it," Bellamy whispered. Clarke watched the cloud, as did the rest of them.

"'I am become death, destroyer of worlds'," she commented quietly. She could feel Bellamy's eyes on her, and so she clarified, "It's...Oppenheimer, the man who built the first—"

"I know who Oppenheimer is," Bellamy stopped her with a small smile on his lips.

"Ask him about Jane Austen," Alessia muttered under her breath to Clarke. "You'd be surprised. I know I was." She locked eyes with Bellamy for a split moment, and instead of thinking about what had happened in the drop ship earlier—whatever they were doing in their unconventional relationship—she just watched while Clarke went inside to help the rest of the people who weren't infected get out before they became it. She let out a heavy sigh and stood next to Bellamy. "So, since I cried, does that mean I can have my gun back?"

"You can have your gun back when you're ready to have it back," Bellamy countered seriously. She wanted to object, but she could see the sincerity in his eyes. Eventually, she nodded.

"All right. But I think it might be sooner than you think." She crossed her arms and watched as he waited for her explanation. "Look, I might not have to be Robin Hood all the time, but I am. Just because...just because my father died doesn't mean the world doesn't move on. I got over what happened to my boyfriend, I'll get over what happened to my dad. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop...being _me._"

She watched as Bellamy decided whether or not to argue, and eventually, he just nodded. "Fair enough."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**Momsen-xxxx: **Let me tell you, I remember drinking something when I got the email for this review and I literally did a spit take. That was hilarious :)

**WinchesterDixonBros: **She got over it pretty quickly, I think the two of them are getting used to low blows with each other. Their relationship seriously developed in this chapter, I think. Honestly, I remember writing out the first few scenes and automatically telling myself that Bellamy and Alessia needed to really develop more in this one considering the circumstances. Unfortunately for them, they took one step forward in this chapter and they'll take twelve steps back in the next. Yes, there seems to be a lot of happiness over them 'getting it on' in the forest lol. Thanks for reviewing!

**BrittWitt16: **Yeah, Alessia and Finn's bromance does not include the topic of sex. So Clarke kind of knows about Bellamy and Alessia but in season 2 there will kind of be this moment where she'll see how much Alessia and Bellamy care about each other and she'll be like "ohhhhhhh wow that's something new". I like that little 'tree' you snuck into your straight line of 'omg's that was pretty sneaky. The banter was completely on purpose because Bellessia doesn't stop being Bellessia just because they've had sex. Thank you! Tears and cheers indeed :)

**Ain'tEasyBeingBreezy: **It was definitely about time for it! Unfortunately, with everything going on, that's about all the time they have for it which is sad :/

**ambrosesdixon: **I was trying to think about the best way to write that Bellessia scene and I realized Bellamy wouldn't really be one to beat around the bush and stuff, he'd just go up to her, take her, and...in their case, shove her up against a tree and tell her it was about fucking time. Honestly I think Calix might be in everyone's best interest because we're going to see how Alessia deals in such a high-stress situation and it's going to be a lot of fun for me to write her character that way. Plus we get even more Bellessia out of it :) So this chapter kind of answered all of your questions but Alessia tried (and failed) to pretend that everything was okay and Bellamy kind of just pushed her to the limit and made her see that it was okay to feel sad about it. DON'T EVER BE SORRY FOR QUESTIONS. The whole point of doing these responses is so that I can answer them! Hope you prepared yourself well for this chapter!

**highwayblues1: **Thank you!

**katiesgotagun: **Yep! Calix isn't going anywhere any time soon! Alessia will be taken to Mt. Weather just because I need her to be out of Bellamy, Kane, and Calix's hair for a while so that they can all kind of grasp the situation before she comes swooping back in just so that she's not there when they kind of learn what they need to learn and do what they need to do...otherwise that would be hella awkward. Thanks! This chapter was updated faster than expected, but hey, I hope you enjoyed!

**narelclollie: **Thank you! I work really hard on them and I worry the hell out of myself when I plan everything out. Yes, Season 2 is going to be amazing and hopefully I'll get there soon. I'm not going to be able to write a whole lot during the summer so hopefully I can get a little bit into Season 2 before the school year ends. Eh...unfortunately Bellamy might have to. But I'm going to try my best to keep the drama flowing smoothly.


	11. The Calm

**My friend is bored and we made a deal that she has to be nice to me for an entire week if I update this. This is more of a treat for me than it is for you. But enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**The Calm**

Kane had no idea how long he'd been unconscious or what had happened. The last thing he remembered was Councilor Diana Sydney commandeering the exodus ship and breaking from the Ark, whereupon the entire space station had been left crippled. All power had gone out, all systems broken. But when he returned to consciousness, he listened to the sound of whirring beside him and he could feel the cool air come from the vent over his head. The sun broke through the window of the hall and rotated as the Ark moved, lighting his way as Kane turned over onto his stomach and slid up against the cooling vent, relishing in the cold air amongst the hot Ark. He managed to force himself onto his feet and he watched the sun as it passed by, taking its shine and leaving him in darkness again.

There was not a sound, not a single movement anywhere near him.

"Hello?" Kane called out in the pitch-black hall. "Is anyone there? Hello?"

No one answered him.

* * *

"Hey, Margot." Alessia walked up to Margot standing in front of her tent that she shared with Octavia conversing with Jasper more calmly than she had been before the bomb on the bridge. Alessia held a gun in her hand pointed down towards the ground, and once she reached Jasper and Margot, she extended the gun to her with a sigh. "Congratulations, you just earned yourself watch on the south wall. Sterling needs to be relieved."

Although Margot took the gun, she hesitantly asked, "Okay...but why me?"

"Because you were the one who took the shot on the bridge, weren't you?" She stared blankly. Margot and Jasper exchanged a look before Margot looked back at Alessia with a delayed laugh.

"What? No, that was Jasper."

Annoyed, Alessia turned to Jasper with her arms crossed over her chest. "Jasper, was it you who detonated the bomb on the bridge?"

"Me? Of course it..." Seeing her disapproving look, Jasper trailed off at his sentence almost as if Alessia's chocolate-colored eyes seemed to have a hidden power. He let out a distressed exhale. "No, you were right. It was Margot."

"Jasper!" Margot hit his arm hard. "I thought we agreed!"

Jasper stumbled back from her blow, rubbing his arm to relieve the pain as he hissed. "Ow! Jesus, Margot, it's not my fault! She was staring me down like...like Kane probably would've."

"Yeah, it's a family gift." Alessia turned back at Margot with a cocked eyebrow. "Why do you not want anyone to know that you were the one who detonated the bomb? It was impressive...I, for one, was sure we were screwed."

"Thanks," Jasper murmured under his breath. She gave him an apologetic look, but turned back to Margot to hear the answer. Margot shrugged.

"Because I'm lazy," she said simply. Alessia waited for her to clarify. "Look, being a good shot means that I would have to do _this. _And I don't want to do _this. _I just want to relax in my tent and eat some panther meat and drink some of Monty's moonshine until the Grounders come. Then I can be helpful."

The brunette pursed her lips for a while, staring at the younger teenager with an understanding gleam in her eyes. "All right, I'll buy it."

"How did you even know that I wasn't the one who made the shot?" Jasper inquired, slightly offended realizing what her accusation had caused. "Margot had me take the credit for it; the only other person who knows is Monty."

"My dad used to have a saying," Alessia began sharply. "'Shaky hands, shaky shot'. While you might be good at hitting people, you're terrible at hitting targets. Which is understandable considering that a target requires complete accuracy. With a man, all you've gotta do is hit a chest over and over again until he collapses. Shaky hands aren't an issue when it comes to live combat, and you, Jasper, have shaky hands."

She moved to leave, leaving Jasper with a compliment sandwich, but before she could entirely get out of Margot and Jasper's attention range, she heard Margot stop her.

"Alessia, wait." Unable to ignore the call back, Alessia turned around and watched as Margot stepped forward, a saddened look on her face. It was almost too dramatic, but that's who Margot was. "How are you doing? With your dad and everything? Has there been anything from the Ark about it?"

"The Ark's radio silent. They probably ran out of the air supply up there." Alessia shook her head tightly. Margot's expression turned into complete shock, now feeling more sorry for herself and her friends and family that were still on the Ark. "So...I think it's safe to say Daddy Dearest probably had the easy way out."

And the second time she turned to leave, neither Jasper or Margot called her back and let her on her way. But she'd only gotten a few steps away, observing all the gunmen at their posts out and around the wall, before there was a sudden commotion to her left.

"Fire!" someone screamed out, as just as the word was spoken, Alessia's head turned at the orange gleam in the corner of her eye. The smokehouse housing all of their meat suddenly was aflame, everyone inside rushing to get out from the chaos. Without hesitation, Alessia sprinted over to the smokehouse and watched as Bellamy dragged Octavia out of the burning structure and set her on the ground, where she began to cough from the smoke inhalation. Murphy was standing not a few feet from them, hunched over and coughing, too.

"What the hell happened?" Alessia asked as she bent down to help Octavia, ignoring Murphy behind them. Octavia coughed and shook her head.

"The fire got spread to the wood and—"

"This is all your fault!" Octavia, Bellamy, and Alessia turned their heads to watch Murphy as he lunged at Del, one of the ones who had also come out of the smokehouse as it crashed and burned. "We told you it was too much wood!"

"Get the hell away from me!" Del demanded, but Murphy didn't back up one step. Instead, he punched Del square in the jaw, causing a full-on fight in less than two seconds. Alessia pushed herself up to break up the fight and scream at Murphy for being such a royal pain in her ass, but Bellamy was already breaking the two of them up with a different agenda in mind.

"Hey! Hey, stop!" Bellamy forced the two apart. "Save it for the Grounders."

"Bell, now what the hell are we gonna do?" Octavia propositioned him, watching as the smokehouse behind them began to crumble in flames. "That was _all _the food!"

Bellamy didn't respond to her. Instead, he looked at Clarke, who was standing next to him, but Clarke said nothing, having no solution herself. And the entire camp was forced to watch, helpless, as the smokehouse burnt to the ground. Clarke eventually had everyone clear out and Alessia helped her to get everyone away and alert again for a Grounder attack while the smokehouse came to nothingness. When she returned back into the camp, she found that the orange light in the middle of their ground was barely glowing and a whole lot of charcoal was left behind. With a sigh, Alessia walked over to Bellamy as he was squatted down on the burnt ground.

"So did you find out what really happened?"

"Murphy says that Del kept feeding the fire, mostly because Octavia told him it was a bad idea." A bitter edge cut through Bellamy's words as he glanced up at her and watched as she crossed her arms.

"So I'm assuming we're believing Murphy on this one?"

"I do. Yeah."

Alessia rolled her eyes thinking about Murphy; but whether or not she believed him, it didn't matter how the smokehouse burned down, only that it did. "Well, Clarke said that we have some wild onions and nuts—not the hallucinogenic kind—in the drop ship. But we all know that it's not going to last more than a week or two. Can anything be salvaged from the fire?"

"No." Bellamy rose from his feet. "It all burned."

The two stared at each other for a while until Alessia said the words that they both knew were coming. "All right, then. Anyone we can spare goes out to hunt."

Before she could turn to leave and announce the decision, Bellamy gripped her arm gently and pulled her to a stop. "With the whole Grounder army out there?"

"Grounder army or not, if we don't feed our soldiers, they can't fight. Trust me, nuts and onions won't hold anyone for long even if some take one for the team and starve it out," she rationalized. Bellamy's eyes dropped as he recognized the reality and dropped his hand from her arm. There were no more contests to her inevitable plan, and soon enough, Clarke helped them round everyone useful into the drop ship and Bellamy wasted no time before barking out orders.

"Each group takes someone with a gun, and they're for killing Grounders, _not_ food. We don't have the ammo," he ordered. "Use the spears for hunting. Get what you can, be back by nightfall. No one stays after dark."

A chorus of responds came from the camp as everyone floated in and out with a group of people equipped with spears and at least one gun for each group. Alessia was using all the ammo she had to load the weapons and hand them out to those who needed one for their group, but she noticed that their supply was becoming dangerously low. She spotted Bellamy as he walked up to her and she let out a disappointed sigh.

"Has Raven made any progress on the ammo?" Alessia asked him as he approached her side. He looked at their supply and shook his head.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, do me a favor and go check. I still have to load my own gun on top of the ones I haven't already," she mumbled. Bellamy cocked an eyebrow.

"You're not gonna stay here?" he asked, surprised. She glanced up at him, equally shocked but only at his question.

"Why would I stay here?" Alessia waited, but he just stared at her blankly, causing her to frown. "Blake, I told you one of the first days I was down here that I'm ten times better at hunting than you are. If anyone should stay behind, it's you."

"Someone should stay behind and lead watch."

"And why should that someone be me? Because back in the old days it was the men who were the hunter-gatherers and women who just stayed back safe behind the walls?" She loaded the magazine into the firearm with a loud _click _and handed the gun to whoever was standing in front of her waiting for the weapon. Bellamy watched as she turned her head, annoyed. "Margot can handle gun patrol. I'm going hunting."

"All right, fine." Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat. "I'll go get some more ammo from Raven and meet you at the gate in fifteen?"

Without lifting her eyes from the next magazine she loaded bullets into, she smiled to herself and countered, "Only if you ask me nicely."

"That was me asking nicely," he pointed out. She lifted her eyes and frowned.

"For the record, you suck at asking nicely. Go get the ammo from Raven." She waited for him to go, but when he didn't, she sighed irately. "Fine. I'll meet you at the gate in fifteen. Just go, I've still got to load my magazine."

"Okay, okay." At her touchy tone, Bellamy backed out of the drop ship and headed out for Raven's tent as asked by Robin Hood, whom he met up with after getting whatever ammo was left from Raven, and they both left camp to hunt.

* * *

"Anybody there? Hello?" Kane felt like he'd been saying the same words on repeat forever, and in a sense, he probably had been. Lights in the Ark flickered as he walked the powerless halls, but it was starting to become less scorching. He found a flashlight on the ground amongst the flickers of light from the walls, and grabbing it, he was able to see. He shone the light on the wall and found an axe hanging in a cabinet that had been busted open by the ship launch, but his attention was soon distracted.

"56 bottles of beer on the wall, 56 bottles of beer..."

The voice was faint, but Kane could hear it. Again, he shouted, "Hello?"

"Take one down and pass it around, 55 bottles of beer on the wall..."

Following the voice's projection, Kane walked down the halls of the Ark desperate to find the source of the noise. He called out his greeting over and over again, hoping whoever it was would talk back and get him to find where the noise was coming from. But as he walked the pathways of the station, he soon found the faint voice was a man lying on the ground, his arm caught between the automatic doors of their space station. Kane could hear the man sing the rhyme over and over again, his eyes closed and his head against his shoulder.

"Hey. Hey, can you hear me?" Kane reached out and tried to touch the man's shoulder to wake him. Suddenly, the man jerked away—as far as he could go considering his condition.

"What do you want?" gasped the man as he flinched away from Kane's hand. Realizing that it was Marcus Kane himself, the man suddenly looked apologetic. "Councilor, Sir?"

"It's Wick, isn't it?" Kane recalled his name. "From engineering? Sinclair's apprentice."

"Yeah, yeah," Wick breathed out as he looked at his arm stuck in between the doors. "He had me come down here to override the containment codes to keep the doors open. Don't tell him I messed up."

"Hey, you didn't mess up," Kane assured him. "We need to get your arm free."

"Yeah. Let's...let's do that. That sounds like a good idea."

As Wick said the words carefully, Marcus tried his hardest to pull the doors apart just enough to get Wick's arm out from between them, but no matter how hard he pulled, he just couldn't get them to move. After a moment, he realized it was useless to waste his energy on it knowing that he couldn't pull it apart with pure manpower.

Heavily breathing, Marcus asked, "Did you see anyone else around here?"

"No. Heard there was a hull breach in engineering."

"It was a breach?" Kane asked, surprised. Wick nodded.

"What the hell happened, anyway?"

Marcus processed the information for a moment, realizing that there was nothing they could've done regardless, and eventually he just scoffed. "We were betrayed. Councilor Sydney, she took the exodus ship by force. Damage to the Ark was catastrophic."

"What a bitch," Wick commented as Kane got up from his position and tried to figure out what to do. "You know, my mom voted for her."

"I'm not gonna be able to open these doors without some help," he told Wick apologetically as he bent down to explain. "I'll be be right back."

"You can't leave me, man."

"I won't leave you here."

"You don't have to." Kane and Wick looked up from their positions on the floor to find another figure a few feet away from them, standing in the darkness, and both of them were skeptical for a few moments until Calix Mercer stepped out into the light with the axe over his shoulder. Rushing forward, Calix bent down on the other side of Wick. "Wick, you were supposed to wait for me to come down here to help with the containment override."

"I didn't need help," Wick returned. Calix frowned.

"I think the Ark begs to differ." Calix looked up at Kane with a curt nod. "Officer Kane."

"Calix." Both Calix and Kane stood from the floor and in a swift movement, Calix had the axe extended in front of him. He wedged it between both doors and jerked his head over to the side he was standing on. Calix nodded, understanding the hint. "On three. One...two..."

The two men pushed hard and the doors separated at last, freeing Wick's trapped arm and causing him to groan from the pain of the release. Nevertheless, through his groans, Wick expressed his gratitude towards both his friend and the Councilor for their help. Calix dropped the axe on the ground and he and Kane helped Wick up from the floor. Once on his feet, the three walked through the small opening between the doors, Wick holding his injured arm.

"I can hear the pumps. I think the vents are working up ahead," he breathed out.

"Let's go. If you survived, there could be others." Kane led their way with the flashlight through the quiet and empty halls that flickered violently with hazardous powering.

As the three walked beside each other, Wick limped and noted, "It's like a ghost ship."

"Only because we can't see." Calix looked around at Wick in the darkness. "I'm sure there are survivors, I just don't know where."

"Here." Suddenly, Kane came to a stop and his light was centered on a dozen or so people, all piled on each other at the door but unable to get out because of injuries and the lack of oxygen. Each of them coughed, weak and helpless without air.

Calix crossed in front of Kane. "There's an emergency oxygen kit in one of these panels. I'll get it."

Kane and Wick moved forward to help guide the people piled up against the door, and Calix was back in no time with a box full of emergency air supplies. There were oxygen masks lined up inside the black casing and there was also a tool to help measure the amount of oxygen for breathing. Kane and Calix distributed the masks as Wick checked the levels.

"Hey, how's the air in here?" Kane inquired, enough time having passed. Wick turned back at him.

"Crappy."

"I'm gonna check the next few compartments," he replied as he got up from the floor and moved to leave the compartment they were in. Wick stood immediately.

"Whoa, hey, are you sure you want to do that?"

"He's right." Calix stood, too. "Not that I would mind if you—quite literally—floated yourself, Kane, but this ship did take a lot of damage. One wrong threshold and you're out."

"We need to keep moving," Kane insisted, ignoring Calix's partial insult. "The air in here can turn bad at any time."

"Well, at least we're breathing! The CO2 scrubbers down here have kicked back on," Wick noted. Kane turned back, his eyes wide and confused.

"They can restart themselves?"

"No, the electrical wires blew out a DCDU, everything's on manual."

Wick and Calix watched as Kane hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between the two mechanics and the air vent a few feet away. Without responding to Wick, Kane walked over to the air vent and stuck a hand in the direction the air was blowing, noting, "Is it getting cooler in here?"

Wick stuck his hand in the same position with a shrug. "I don't feel it."

"Who cares?" Calix inquired, not finding a point. But he could see that Kane was thinking just by his expression.

"Could someone restart the central cooling exchanges on this level?"

"No. That runs through the primary board," Wick answered.

"Earth Monitoring." Kane looked at the survivors they had found before and looked as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. Slowly, he ordered, "We need to get these people moving. Now."

"And where are we moving them to?" Calix asked. Kane turned at him with serious eyes.

"The cooling air is a message. See, I think there's someone alive in Earth Monitoring."

Calix and Wick both exchanged a glance before Calix turned to Kane, his eyes heavy with concern. "The air...is a message, Kane?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Wick stepped forward and nodded cautiously. "You have hypoxia, all right? So you're working with about 10 percent of your brain."

"We need to get them moving. _Now_. I am not gonna let these people die here." Kane brushed Wick's shoulder and walked over to the survivors, leaving Wick somewhat worried for the Councilor's mental health and Calix merely unimpressed with Kane's attempt to redeem himself.

* * *

"Promise you won't go throwing axes at a little girl's head this time?" Alessia called out over her shoulder as she made sure to mind the uneven ground she walked on. Bellamy walked a few paces behind her, a gun hot in his hand.

"You're the one with the spear, Robin Hood."

"Okay, then I can rephrase." She paused. "Promise you won't _shoot _at a little girl's head this time?"

Bellamy cautioned himself, looking around wearily for Grounders but unable to stop the distracted chuckle from his lips. "The only head I'll be shooting out here is a Grounder's, Kane. No need to worry."

"I doubt the Grounders are going to come out of nowhere, Messiah." She stopped and surveyed tracks beneath her feet, slightly lost. Finn had told her what to look for, but she was definitely not as good of a tracker as she was a hunter. Deciding to go with it, she followed the tracks in the direction they were going in and moved on. "It's been two days, they're probably still recovering from what happened at the bridge."

She could hear Bellamy scoff softly. "You think so?"

"Hell no." Alessia turned around at him and glanced over her shoulder. "But I'm sure Octavia would know if there's another attack. Like it or not, Lincoln is an ally."

"Lincoln?" Bellamy repeated, the name rolling off his tongue with distaste. She only knew the name herself because Clarke had told her. She was sure Bellamy knew who it was, he just didn't like saying it for the sake of forgetting what had happened on the bridge with his sister. "What the hell does that Grounder have to do with anything?"

Alessia thought of the best way to phrase it, realizing the distance in Bellamy's voice. "Well...Bellamy, this might be hard for you to hear, but I'm positive Lincoln doesn't want Octavia to get hurt. If there was going to be an attack on camp, he'd let her know."

"We can't rely on some Grounder that may or may not care about my sister for information." He said the words coldly, as if she had hit a nerve spot. She didn't doubt that she had. "For all we know, he could be playing her. Which is why I keep telling her not to get involved with him."

Suddenly, Alessia came to a stop, which caused Bellamy to come up a little closer to her side and stop as well, looking around intently. She didn't move a muscle, but her eyes roamed around the forest as she stood on top of the trail of tracks that rounded a bush as they went further. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bush she could see a few feet from her, and without fail, a boar sluggishly started to move to the right without noticing the two intruders. Alessia turned, her back to Bellamy, and with slow breaths, she threw the spear with a crisp movement and it hit the boar right in its side, letting it fall to the ground, injured and helpless. It gave a squeal, and as it lay on the ground, Alessia turned around at Bellamy and gave him a sad smile.

"You can't stop love, Bellamy. No matter how hard you try." Bellamy stared as she turned away from him and walked over to the boar, quick in her step, and still talked. He followed pursuit, the gun still pointed in his hand but his mind elsewhere. "If my father succeeded at stopping me from falling in love, I would be in a completely different place right now. But the fact that he wanted to stop me was what made me want to be in love. For you and Octavia, it's the same thing. You're the only father figure she has. She sees you as an obstacle, and with Octavia's stubbornness, you're an obstacle she will _fight _to get around. There's nothing better than a forbidden love."

Alessia bent down and ripped the spear of the boar, causing it to yelp in a squealed form. The first thing she did was made sure that the boar was dead so they could transport it, but while she killed it, Bellamy shook his head.

"She's not much younger than you are." He caught her gaze. "If you told her that you regret what happened, she might understand why she can't continue this. Too many people don't trust her at our camp, she's at risk."

She scoffed and rose from the ground. "But I don't regret one second of it. Am I sad that he's gone? Of course. But do I wish that I hadn't fallen in love with him? Never." Alessia walked around the boar and over to Bellamy, who turned and straightened to her as she explained, "Being in love in a world like ours...it's terrifying, but it's worth it. You'd give your entire life for that person and they would do the same, no matter the circumstances. Wasn't it like that when you were in love?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, his eyes locked with hers and he felt a surge of anger overcome him, not because of what she was saying—she'd said it in the kindest voice possible—but because what it was doing to him was not something he wanted to feel. What happened in the drop ship during the virus, he had chocked it all up to the fact that he thought he was going to die and he was feeling a little more inclined to be nice to her. But now he realized that it might've been something different.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that he thought she was just a spoiled little rich kid who was looking for an adventure and didn't care whether or not she hated him. But since that time, he'd kissed her, he'd slept with her, he'd watched her fight, he'd listened to her cry, and he'd seen her smile. The fact of the matter was that he cared, like it or not, whether she lived or died at the end of the day.

Suddenly, Bellamy snapped. He turned his head from her and looked at the boar. "I'll bag it. You go ahead, see if you can find some other tracks. I'll be right behind."

"Blake—" she began, but he turned around at her and shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," he told her icily, causing her to look back at him with stunned eyes. "You made your goddamn point, Robin Hood."

"Wait, are you actually angry with me about this?" she asked incredulously. He didn't answer, but moved forward to bag the boar with furious steps. She knew him all too well to know when he was angry. Finally, she just scoffed at him. "You know what? Fine. Whatever, Messiah. If you're gonna be that way, just go back."

Bellamy looked over his shoulder and watched her as she walked away. "I'm the one with the gun, Kane!"

"Then stay the hell out of my sight, Blake!" she shouted from a distance and he turned around at the boar, angrily stuffing it into the bag he brought along.

* * *

When Kane, Wick, Calix, and the survivors from their station finally reached Earth Monitoring, they observed from a distance that it was blocked by a barricade of fixtures piled in front of the door.

"Rest in peace, Earth Monitoring," Wick quipped aloud.

"Let's check passageway four," Kane suggested. Wick shook his head beside him.

"No, we've got a jammed pressure door between us and pass four. And we can't get through here. It's game over, man!" he said pessimistically. But Kane was far from a man who would give up.

"I need to talk to whoever's in there!"

Wick sighed furiously before stepping forward to help the problem reluctantly. "'Please' would be nice."

As they waited, Kane paced back and forth and watched as Calix stood with his arms crossed over his chest, watching Wick as he tampered with the radio comm outside of the station. Curiously, Kane stopped in front of him and asked, "Shouldn't you be helping him?"

Calix turned his eyes to his girlfriend's father. "What, because you think I'm the best mechanic there is in Mecha Station now?" Uncomfortably, he shifted and kept his arms locked tight over his chest. "I suck at being a mechanic, Kane. Which was why you took me into the Guard, if you remember correctly."

"Watch this," Wick announced before Kane could respond. A smile overcame his face as he let out a sound of joy and leaned forward to pull the level to radio inside the station. Into the speaker, he asked, "Earth Monitoring, do you read?"

Releasing his finger from the lever, they awaited a response. It eventually came, from a figure they all knew too well. Chancellor Jaha was at the radio. _"We read you. Who is this? Where are you?"_

Kane rushed forward and took Wick's place, who gladly stepped aside and listened as Kane radioed in. "Sir! It's good to hear your voice."

There was practically a smile in Jaha's voice. _"Of course it's you, Kane. You're too stubborn to die." _

"I could say the same for you."

_"What is your situation?" _

"We have about a dozen survivors."

_"That's good work, Councilor." _Chancellor Jaha's voice was clearly breathless and heavy, as if he were suffering a great deal. Kane knew that there was a problem, one that most likely concerned the oxygen. _"Sinclair is rerouting power and air to the mess hall. Lead your people there." _

"After we get you," Kane replied.

_"No. A fire burned through most of our oxygen. We put it out, but we don't have...very long. All access is blocked. We are reviving as many Ark citizens as we can before our...our oxygen runs out." _

His voice was windless, struggling to get the words out. Kane swallowed thickly. "I won't let you die."

_"As your Chancellor, I am ordering you to gather as many survivors as you can...and lead them to the mess hall! Jaha out." _

Kane thought about it for a moment, thought about getting the survivors to where they needed to go, but he realized quickly that he couldn't leave the Chancellor behind. All he could think about was that moral line his daughter forced him to see, and he knew that this was it. This was the moral line that he had to draw. He wouldn't leave his Chancellor—his friend—behind.

Kane turned his head, ever so slightly, and looked at Calix. "Lead them to the mess hall. And when you get there, organize a search; station by station looking for survivors."

"You can't be serious," Mercer mumbled at the Councilor, who didn't say anything, but turned around at the blocked door and started to pull at things. He watched Kane with an unbelievable amount of hatred within him, but he realized quickly that no matter the hatred, he was not the type of man Kane was. Calix looked at Wick. "Do what he said."

Calix could see that Wick wanted to argue, but Calix shook his head as a warning for him not to. With hesitation in his voice, Wick looked back at the oblivious survivors behind them.

"Let's go to the mess hall. Come on."

"Kane," Calix began sternly as he stepped forward. Wick paused behind them, reluctant to leave. Kane didn't turn around to listen to Calix. "If you don't get out of here now...God knows what will happen. All of this, it's an electrical fire waiting to—"

Right as he said the words, they came true. Kane turned his head to look at Calix behind him and suddenly there was a spark within the barricade over the door, almost reaching out to touch Kane. It was a small spark, but not enough to create a full-on fire. As Kane watched the sparks fade, he turned around angrily.

"That's why you need to lead these people out of here! Please," he spat.

"You think I'm going to stand by and watch the father of the girl I love sacrifice himself? Do you really think that's what she'd want for you?" the younger man snapped.

"No one else can die because of me," Kane confessed after a while. Calix's hard look dropped as he realized that this was exactly what he'd suspected all along—Marcus wanted redemption for whatever the hell he did in the Culling. That's why he came to him to apologize for almost floating him just because he was Alessia's secret boyfriend and that's why he was going to save everyone but himself at that moment. "We both know _that's_ what she'd want. So go. Go! Get yourselves to safety."

Without waiting to see if they had gone, Marcus turned back and tugged at the structures again, earning a zap within the mess of wires. The bad part of Calix Mercer wanted to see Marcus Kane get what he deserved, but the other part of him—the one that used to look up to Kane as if he were his father—realized that he couldn't let that happen. With slow steps, he moved forward and helped Marcus as he strained to pull the metal off of the pile, fighting whatever electrical sparks were inside. Within seconds, Marcus could feel Wick at the other side of his shoulder, pulling as well, and suddenly all of the other survivors had a hand on the metal. Looking at them with pride, Kane nodded.

"On three." He turned at the door. "One...two...three!"

When they finally got the door open to Earth Monitoring station, one of the survivors was lucky enough to have brought the cases of air masks with them on their journey. Kane was the first one in, looking all around the dusty, ruined Earth Monitoring station for the Chancellor.

"Everybody gets oxygen! Now!" Grabbing an oxygen mask from the own case Kane had gotten, he rushed over to Jaha whom he had spotted within a second and bent down quickly. "Sir! Sir, are you all right?"

He fit the oxygen mask over the Chancellor's mouth and nose, and after taking a deep breath, the Chancellor removed it and breathed out, "I gave you an order. You're bound by law to follow."

"The people in this room are our best chance to save the Ark," Kane rationalized as he fit the mask at Jaha's mouth and nose again. Reluctantly, Jaha took the air and looked around, realizing that the statement was true. Kane continued, "Besides, a wise man once told me...I needed to learn when _not _to follow the law."

After a moment, Jaha laughed. "A wise man?" He let the oxygen mask fall from his face and Kane helped him stand up. "Thank you. So what do we do now?"

* * *

When Bellamy returned to camp, following at least ten paces behind Alessia, he was absolutely furious, as was she. It was all his fault, which he knew quite well, but it was worth it. He couldn't let himself feel that way about her, not in the middle of a Grounder war that he had to focus entirely on. Besides, it was best to get the disappointment out of the way now before it became an issue.

He let those who handled the meat take care of all the things Alessia'd managed to hunt in the forest, and meanwhile he returned to his tent for a few moments of solitude to ease his temperamental mind. But upon immediate entrance into his tent, he realized that he was not alone. Raven was inside, pacing back and forth towards the back.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked roughly.

"They don't waste time, I'll give 'em that. What's it been? Day and a half?" She spoke sourly, directed clearly towards Clarke and Finn. Bellamy avoided Raven's eyes, realizing that it was probably the worst time for someone to come to him asking for advice or looking for sympathy.

"You've mistaken me for someone who cares." He couldn't. He wouldn't. "Time to move on."

Without paying attention to her, Bellamy shred his jacket, expecting Raven to leave his tent and get on with her night. Instead, he was found surprised as she sat down on his makeshift bed and took her shoes off, then her jacket. His voice was harsh at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Moving on." She lifted herself from his bed and unbuttoned her pants, stepping out of them and leaving them at the side of his bed. She walked towards him and he shifted away, realizing what she meant. Raven took the tie out of her hair and let her black locks fall down her back as she locked eyes with him. "I've never been with anyone but Finn. Take off your clothes."

But it was spoken hesitantly, and Bellamy wasn't a fool. She had a look in her eye, one that he'd had himself. This was her wanting to prove that she didn't care about Finn and that she didn't care that he was off doing whatever it was that he was doing with Clarke. He'd be a fool to say he wasn't in a situation similar, but different. The difference between him and Raven was that she wanted to care if Finn actually wanted her. Bellamy didn't want to care at all, even though he inevitably did.

"Fine." Seeing his lack of response, Raven spoke the word flatly. "I'll go first."

She didn't miss a beat as she took off her shirt, absolutely clad beneath it, and she let the fabric fall to the floor with the rest of her clothes. Bellamy felt that it was wrong, he knew it would be considered taking advantage of a girl who'd gotten her heart broken, but the truth of the matter was that he, himself, needed something to feel better. He needed a distraction.

"If you're looking for someone to talk you down, tell you that you're just upset and not thinking straight...I'm not that guy."

She stepped closer. "Good."

* * *

"Monty," Alessia caught the dark-haired boy as he came out of the drop ship. "Have you seen Clarke and Finn? All the hunters are back but they aren't and I'm starting to get really worried about them. They were with that Myles kid, too, weren't they?"

"Yeah. They left a while before you and Bellamy did," Monty agreed, a concerned edge now to his tone as well. Before he could say anything, Jasper and Margot came up to them seeing the concerned looks.

"Uh oh." Margot looked between Monty and Alessia. "I see worried faces. Who died? Was it the Grounders again?"

"Alessia says Clarke and Finn haven't come back from hunting yet but they left way before she did. And all the other hunters are back," Monty explained. Jasper looked between them and smiled lightly.

"Yeah, but...but it's Clarke and Finn, you know?"

"Ooh." Margot nodded and snapped her fingers at Jasper. "Yeah. I bet there's nothing to worry about. Jasper's right, they're probably getting it on somewhere in the forest—"

"Margot, they were with another kid. Myles," Alessia snapped, not in the mood for Margot's childish attitude. Margot silenced with a feared look on her face of the young Kane, but didn't say anything. Alessia just let out a frustrated sigh. "God, where could they be?"

"We should look for them," Jasper suggested immediately. Alessia distractedly bit down on her nail, realizing that it was dark and there was no way their esteemed leader would go for it. "I-I mean, what if it was the Grounders? What if they—"

"Hey." Alessia jerked her head up at him and gave Jasper a cold stare. It was a thought she didn't want to have to think about. "Don't think like that, Jasper. They've got to be alive. It's just not safe for _us _to be out there in the dark, either. But...you know what, who cares? Look, we can all go...plus Raven, too, I'm sure she'd want to go looking for Finn. I'll tell Bellamy so he doesn't flip shit about guns being missing."

"I think I saw Raven go into his tent a little while ago," Margot chimed, trying to be helpful.

At first, Alessia didn't think anything of it, but as she turned and headed for Bellamy's tent, she sort of found it odd. What would Raven have any business doing in Bellamy's tent? The more she thought about it, the more she realized Raven probably wanted to talk about the radios that she had an idea about earlier before everyone had gone out for hunting. So, though she wasn't too keen on having to inform Bellamy of their plans, she knew that he would be even more furious if she didn't. Coming up to his tent, she pushed aside the flap and stepped in, only to find Raven hurriedly rushing out with her boots in hand and her hair strangely untied so that it was down her shoulders. She didn't have much time to dwell, but when she looked back into the tent and saw Bellamy lying naked under his covers, it was pretty clear to her.

Bellamy sat up, propped on his elbows, and swallowed thickly as he watched Alessia stiffen. He realized a little too late what it meant, and he felt something he'd never had to feel before when he'd had sex—guilt.

"Don't you knock?" he murmured sourly. She watched as he grabbed his pants from beside his bed and slipped them on under the covers before swinging his legs out.

Alessia was determined not to let him see how angry she was, so she said simply, "Clarke, Finn, and Myles are missing. They all went hunting together and they're not back yet."

"Probably got lost." Bellamy fit his shirt over his head and pulled it down. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Spacewalker can backtrack."

She ignored him. "I'm taking Margot, Jasper, and Monty to find them. Raven, too, if she wants to go." Alessia said Raven's name with an edge, but it was hardly noticeable to anyone but herself. Bellamy stared at her with confused eyes.

"I didn't hear a question."

"I wasn't asking." He watched her stare him down and knew that she was serious. So with a sigh, he pushed himself off his bed.

"Fine. I'll come with you."

"Don't bother."

Things were silent for a long time until Bellamy avoided her eyes and turned back at the bed. "Look, about what happened—"

"I don't care what happened," she interrupted him, earning his attention back. "I don't care how it happened, I don't care why it happened, I just don't care. I have enough to worry about without this."

With it said, Alessia exited his tent and walked outside into the cooler air, refusing to let herself be hurt by Bellamy's immature actions. He probably came out of his tent not soon after she had left, but she didn't care. She grabbed the first gun she saw and made sure that the magazine had enough bullets inside.

As she checked, she heard Margot come up to her and say in a soft voice, "So...funny story, actually...when I said that Raven was in Bellamy's tent I kind of didn't put two and two together until—"

"Don't worry about it." Alessia looked up at her and shook her head. "It's fine."

Margot pursed her lips. "Well...were they...?"

"Yeah. Well, they did."

She could tell that her friend was more than upset about it, and for a moment, Margot debated not saying anything, but in the next, it was quite obvious that she had to. It was a quiet statement.

"I thought Alessia Kane doesn't get jealous," Margot proposed softly, testing the waters. The comment could go either way, but thankfully, it worked in her favor. Alessia set the magazine in place with another click and shrugged nonchalantly.

"She doesn't."

* * *

"Any word yet on casualties?" Jaha pushed at Kane, who paced back and forth in Earth Monitoring.

"No. Sinclair still has...teams out assessing the damage, but...whole stations may have been lost," said Kane with a solemn voice. "I estimate...no more than a thousand survivors. At least fifteen hundred dead."

"Hey, guys, I found something!" Wick shouted out in the station and walked over to Kane and Jaha with Calix and Sinclair trailing behind. Sinclair let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Mr. Wick has trouble with...protocol."

"What did you find?" Jaha urged.

"Data from the exodus launch. The monitor says that service hatch beta was _manually_ sealed _before_ the launch from our side."

"There was someone in the service bay," Marcus clarified.

"But there are survivors? People jumped ship at the last moment?" Jaha breathed, surprised. Kane looked back at him with a less inspiring idea.

"Maybe Sydney threw them off. Maybe they were a threat." He turned back at Wick. "Could they still be alive in the service bay?"

Wick, Calix, and Sinclair all looked at each other before Wick answered hesitantly, "Well...Sir, if they hunkered down and got lucky, yeah, they could still be ticking, but they won't be for long."

"Well, how do we get to them?" Wick debated his reply, so Kane pushed, "How can we get to them?"

"There's a maintenance shaft that leads into it," Calix responded quickly as he shifted with his arms on his chest. "It's pressurized, but—"

"It's pressed right up against the fuel pods," Sinclair cut him off with a disappointed tone. "Without power to the coolant system, it'll be hot as hell in there."

All of the men in the room looked around at each other, but it was Kane who said without a single hesitation, "I have to try."

Without waiting for a contest from anyone around him, Kane brushed past Wick and Sinclair and moved to exit Earth Monitoring to go to the maintenance shaft Calix had mentioned. As he walked quickly down the halls, he heard someone shout his name, and turned around to find that it was his daughter's boyfriend, himself. In an attempt to ignore him, Kane turned around, but Calix jogged up right at his side.

"What's with this suicide mission you have for yourself, Kane?" He sighed exasperatedly. "What do you think it's going to prove?"

"Nothing." Kane increased his pace, Calix forced to keep up. "I don't want to prove anything, Mercer, I just want to save them. It's the least I can do."

"The least you can do is stay the hell alive." Once they came up to the service bay, Calix grabbed the officer's arm and pulled him to stop. "I know what it's like to want to save people. That's why I got arrested in the first place, but something tells me you're doing it for the wrong reasons."

"When you were arrested, you could've pinned all of your crimes on Alessia," Marcus began, his eyes full of dreadful seriousness. Mercer stared and waited for him to finish. "I wouldn't have floated my own blood, Mercer, and you knew that. You could've saved yourself by pleading innocent, but you took all the credit for the crime the both of you committed so that you could ensure she would live. Wouldn't that qualify as a right reason?"

Calix let in a deep sigh as he realized what Kane was trying to prove. "You think this is your way of making it up to everyone? To die?"

"To fight." Marcus shook his head. "Not to die."

"Hey!" They heard, and both Calix and Marcus turned to see Wick rushing down the hall after them with something in his hand. Coming up to them, Wick extended a battery to Kane. "You'll need this battery to open the door to the bay. Good? Yeah?"

Marcus nodded, and with a frustrated look, Calix walked over to the maintenance shaft beside him and pulled the door off the square threshold and set it on the floor. Wick walked forward and stuck his head through the vent before pulling out and telling Marcus, "It's not that hot. Sinclair doesn't know what he's talking about—it's a _little _warm."

Kane laughed at Wick, who was proud of the small distraction, but then he turned to Mercer and pushed, "So you're not gonna talk me out of going?"

Mercer shook his head tightly. "Do what you need to do, Kane."

With a curt nod, Marcus leaned forward to bend down and fit himself through the square, but just as he did, he heard Wick beside him. "When you die, can I have your shoes?"

Straightening, Marcus laughed again and clapped the man's shoulder. "They're much too stylish for you."

With no more distractions, Kane folded himself into the shaft and instantly felt the heatwave inside. He crawled on the scorching hot floor, no doubt covered in burns as he felt the tingling sensation all over his body while he moved on his stomach. After a while, it was becoming less uncomfortable for him to be on top of the fuel pods burning extremely hot, but nevertheless, the heat was bound to leave its mark. Kane came to a stop when he found a caged gate blocking him and the rest of the shaft, and fighting the heat beneath him, he punched the gate over and over again until it gave and he continued crawling. Sweat dripped violently from his forehead and at last, he finally came up to the opening on the other side. He hit the lever to open the small door, yelping at the heat from the burning metal that seemed to brand his skin, but finally he was out of the shaft and right at the door to the service bay. With a flashlight in one hand and the battery in another, he went to the mechanical panel beside the pressurized doors, used the battery to spark the power, and there was a noise behind him of triumph. The doors split, and wasting no time, Marcus rushed into the service bay and looked around for survivors. Seeing a visitor, all of the weak survivors began to stir.

"Come on!" Marcus urged them. He was just about to lead them out when his flashlight ran over someone's body in the corner, unconscious. Rushing forward, he knelt down on his knee.

"Hey! Hey, come on! Wake up! Hey..." He grabbed the person's shoulder and rolled her into his arms, and when he saw her face, he recognized immediately who it was, even in the darkness. "Abby? Abby, wake up."

Dr. Griffin was half-in, half-out, as she mumbled, "It's so hot..."

Kane pulled her to him, trying to make sure she stayed awake and alert so that they could get out, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved to know that she was still alive.

* * *

"Where are they?" Raven hissed aloud as she and Alessia walked through the dark forest cautiously, looking for any sign of Clarke, Finn, and Myles.

With her gun pointed alertly, Alessia mumbled to her, "Relax. We'll find them."

_"I thought you said you were heading west. Where are you?" _Monty's voice was panicked. On the radio, Alessia and Raven could hear Margot's response.

_"Calm down, Monty. Get the moon on your left and you'll find us eventually." _

"This morning, all I could think about was how much easier this would all be if Finn was just...gone," Raven trailed off, her voice strained and solemn, as if she blamed herself for what was happening. Alessia bit down on her cheek and shook her head.

"There's no use and torturing yourself, Raven." She practically snapped the sentence, but not because of what happened between Raven and Bellamy earlier. She snapped it because it was ridiculous for someone to think such an idiotic thought. "We can't wish things into being. We knew there was going to be retaliation from the bridge and here we have it. And now we're gonna fix it."

_"Is anyone else hearing this signal?" _Monty asked distractedly with a shaking breath.

Raven brought the radio to her lips. "Just keep your eyes open."

_"I think it's the same thing we heard in the black box." _

"Damn it, Monty!" Alessia snatched the radio from Raven and hissed into the device. "Enough about this stupid signal. Pay attention! Do you see any sign of Clarke and Finn?" There was no answer. "Monty? Do you read me?"

Suddenly, there was a strange screech from the radio, and Alessia handed it back to Raven to deal with as she heard a sound from behind her. With her gun locked in her hand, she watched the bushes in front of them move and listened to Raven turn around while hissing into the radio, "There's someone in the bushes."

Alessia looked up at Raven and gave her a nod in the darkness, and the two slowly inched forward towards the bushes just in case it was not someone that they wanted to see, otherwise stated as a Grounder out looking for vengeance. As Alessia pointed her gun down at the bushes ready to fire, Raven quickly brushed the bushes away and revealed whoever was inside.

Seeing who it was, Alessia relaxed the grip on her gun. "Myles?" He groaned at her and she let the gun slide onto her hip as she helped him out of the bushes. She could see two arrows deep in his flesh. "Myles, what the hell happened to you?"

Margot and Jasper rushed up to Raven and Alessia's side, seeing Myles as Alessia set him down on the ground. Raven urged, "Where are they? Clarke and Finn, where are they?"

"Ah...Grounders took them," Myles breathed in pain.

"We need to get him back to camp," Alessia announced to the rest of their party.

"What about Clarke and Finn?" Jasper inquired. She shook her head.

"We'll have to come back for them, okay? Myles is losing a lot of blood and...and I don't know how the hell we're going to stop it without Clarke, I just..." She trailed off, absolutely lost to what to do, the worst sinking in. What if Clarke and Finn were dead by now? Alessia looked up at Margot and Jasper. "We'll have to get a bigger search party after we go back. We'll head out at first light."

"They could be dead by then!" Raven protested.

"They could already be dead now," Alessia countered softly. "But we're not abandoning them. I promise, we'll head back out soon."

Raven was quiet for a long time, but eventually, she just looked down at Myles and murmured, "We need to make a stretcher."

"I'll help," Margot offered as she and Raven went to find materials for a makeshift stretcher. With shaking hands, Jasper brought the radio to his lips and spoke into it softly.

"Monty, we're heading back to camp. Can you find it? Monty? Monty!"

Jasper's eyes locked with Alessia's with worry. Seeing it, Alessia reached forward and spoke into Jasper's radio. "Hey, Monty? Do you copy? Monty!"

But there was no answer; only static.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**Momsen-xxxx: **AND IT GIVES ME SOMETHING TO DO SO I'M NOT BORED OUT OF MY MIND... :)

**WinchesterDixonBros: **It was more of a very sudden coldness honestly. She was being entirely honest and serious about how she felt when she was in love and all that kind of made Bellamy stop and stare and sort of realize...well, there's some part of him that honestly likes her, enough to eventually come to love her in the way that she talked about. And of course that scared the shit out of him and intentionally made her mad. Yes, she will escape with Clarke and Anya from Mt. Weather but she's not going to be kidnapped by Anya, she's going to have to save Clarke instead. I'm excited, too! It'll be great.

**ambrosesdixon: **I think it's pretty obvious in this chapter that he cares a whole lot, which was entirely what their argument was built on because he realized it and got extremely terrified. She's like 18 and he's 23, she shouldn't be making him feel that way but she does. You definitely had a right to be scared because she's really not happy with him. Prepare yourself because there are only two episodes until Season 2!

**Iwannabelikeme: **That means a whole lot, thank you. Yeah, my intention was to have Alessia try to play her dad's death off as if it were nothing because of the way she's built. Kane did the same thing to her, so it sort of shows how much they're alike. Yeah, Bellamy was there for her because he went through somewhat of the same thing, but he was also there for her because it's one of the levels that I created in their relationship where Bellamy is aware that she can be an absolute bitch to him and those around her, but he knows that there's a girl inside just like everyone else. They've spent so much time together that he knows the person that she is happens to be the result of 18 years of being forced to be strong for her father who didn't want to deal with emotions. Oh they're definitely little kids pretending that they don't care about each other. Alessia kind of gave up in that last chapter but in this one, like you said, Bellamy realized the seriousness that's becoming between the two of them and he just took ten giant steps back because he realized he was getting too close. And that caused Alessia to snap back into this hatred for Bellamy that's not going to be fun for the next chapter. I can't wait, either! I'm super excited to write it and for everyone to read it! I hope I don't hype it up too much though because then there's more potential for me to screw up...

**katiesgotagun: **Alessia is not going to handle it well. Not at all. You know, in the first episode, Dante keeps pressing that they're not prisoners and everything and Clarke really only counters it once or twice or something like that but Alessia's just going to full out blow up in his face and be like "look, guy, if we weren't prisoners, I would be allowed to leave this hellhole so show me the exit" and obviously he won't show her the exit and she'll be pissed off. So, I mean, since day one we've seen Alessia really have this moral affliction where she has strong feelings about right and wrong because of the fact that her father _always _did the wrong thing, even when it was right, and so seeing the Grounders bled dry she's just going to be absolutely horrified. Clarke might have compassion for human life but Alessia just has a plain old moral boundary and Mt. Weather goes wayyyy over the line. Anyways, thank you! I'm updating a lot faster than normal but I think it's good. Season 2 will be longer and more difficult to write considering everything that happens so I'll be posting the next two chapters soon!

**Nirvana14: **I wish it too, trust me. But I don't think the Bellarke shippers would be too happy about all this Bellessia going on...anyways, thanks for reviewing!


	12. We Are Grounders: Part 1

**Hey guys. I'm going to try really hard to get the second part of the finale done by Sunday but if it doesn't pan out, it'll probably get done by next weekend. Season 2 is almost here! Though I'm still dying over the Season 2 finale and seriously like every Wednesday I think "YES The 100 is on" and then...no, it's not. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**We Are Grounders**

**Part 1**

"Every simulation has been run. Every system modification has been made." Jaha looked around at the people in the council room, merely commoners before but now the most important people on the Ark. "The hard and simple fact is that in 51 hours, life on the Ark...will no longer be possible. I choose to find consolation in one remarkable truth: the surviving members of The 100 have proven themselves to be more resilient than we could've ever imagined. Our legacy will go on, and for that, I am not only grateful, but I am proud."

"So what do we tell our constituents to do now? What do we do now?" a woman asked behind Marcus, who was sitting at the table across from Jaha listening to his speech.

He didn't have an answer. There was no hard one, anyway; he couldn't give anyone a task, he couldn't tell anyone what to do. There was nothing to do but wait.

"Look inside. Find your peace," Jaha suggested. A melancholy silence overcame those listening. "In the meantime, I'm releasing all available resources to the surviving citizens of the Ark. There will be no more rationing. What we have belongs to all of us."

With it said, Jaha reached forward and slammed a gavel-like object down on the council table, making the order official. Though reluctant, those inside of the room left—excluding the recovering Abby and the silent Kane.

Jaha looked up at Dr. Griffin. "Are you all right, Abby?"

"Yes," she replied softly. Kane turned around at her, and watching Jaha and Kane survey her for the emptiness in her eyes knowing she would never see her daughter again hurt her more than she'd care to hurt. Quickly, she informed them, "I have a patient. She was hurt in the bomb blast. I need to go."

Jaha and Kane were left to themselves upon Abby's departure, and once she was gone, Kane pressed, "Sir, is it wise to waste rations when we don't know for sure?"

The Chancellor smiled at Kane's persistence, but he had to admit that it was a hindrance—a false hope. There was no way to get down to the ground or to get the Ark to survive any longer than it had.

"But we _do_ know for sure."

"Well I can't just...do nothing. I have to find a solution."

"Hey." Kane tried to get up and leave the room, but the Chancellor stopped him by getting out of his own seat and stepping forward. "I know this is hard to accept, but if you'd like to spend your remaining time rerunning simulations, by all means, you can do that. I, however, will be spending my time with family and a bottle of 97-year-old scotch."

Jaha watched as Kane stood silent and pondered over his words, but Jaha just left him to his own doings and went to spend his remaining time as he had said, waiting for his final moments on the place he called his home.

* * *

"Come on, these foxholes aren't gonna build themselves!" Alessia could distinctly hear Bellamy's voice behind her as she helped Raven fix the land mines in the west woods. His footsteps grew closer in her hearing and he eventually spoke out to the mechanic, "Better hope those land mines work. With all the gunpowder we're wasting, we could be building more grenades."

"They work," Raven assured him as she bent down with the trip wire in her hand.

"Why don't you come over here and test one?" Alessia suggested sourly as she helped make sure the wire was steady. "That's the only way we'll know for sure."

He scowled. "Cute. I need this entire section mined by morning, then you finish the south field."

He turned to leave, but Alessia jumped up on her feet and left Raven to the work, though Raven had clearly the same idea as she had when Bellamy told them to finish mining by morning. She called out to him, pulling him to a stop so that he turned around at her with an annoyed look in his eye, but she jogged over to him and slowed down a few feet in front.

"We're going after Clarke, Finn, and Monty in the morning. I told you, we need a search team."

"And I told you nobody leaves this camp."

"Don't you dare walk away from me." She gripped his arm and turned him around forcefully. "We're not abandoning our own people! I don't care who the hell is in charge here, but if you want to be, you better show these people that you actually give a damn about whether or not they live or die."

Bellamy turned back at her, about ready to angrily counter her accusation, but before he could, there was a gunshot fired behind them. Bellamy left Alessia's side and angrily ran up to Sterling, who was the one who fired the shot. He looked like he was dazed and lost, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Bellamy growled.

"I-I'm sorry, man, I fell asleep. I've been on watch all day," Sterling defended himself. Losing his temper, Bellamy reached forward and grabbed Sterling's collar forcefully.

"We've _all _been on watch all day! That bullet was one less dead Grounder!"

"Bell," a soft voice came from beside him. It was Octavia, watching him as he kept Sterling against the tree with fury. "You're scaring people."

"They should be scared!" Releasing Sterling, he turned around to the rest of the camp. "The bomb on the bridge bought us some time, but that time is up! The Grounders are out there right now, waiting for us to leave and picking us off one by one when we do! Clarke, Finn, and Monty are gone, probably dead. And if you want to be next, I can't stop you! But no guns are leaving this camp! This camp is the _only_ thing keeping us alive!"

"Yeah, until you kill us all!" Alessia screamed at him, outraged at the stupidity that came out every time Bellamy Blake opened his goddamn mouth. She stormed off, leaving her own duties behind because she just couldn't handle them. The crowd parted for her to leave and everyone was silent, Alessia's last words repeating through their head, and once she was gone, Bellamy stared after her but did nothing.

"Get back to work!" he ordered those that gathered around, and hearing the threat in his voice, everyone parted to do what he said. When he was sure everyone was handling their job with diligence, Bellamy tried to find Robin Hood, but she was nowhere to be found. Giving up, he went to the drop ship and tried to use whatever time he had remaining to focus on the strategy he was trying to develop for their war. While inside the drop ship, he could hear moaning from Myles, the kid who had gone out with Clarke and Finn. A part of him knew that he should go out and look for the Princess and Spacewalker, but another part of him doubted that they were even alive.

It was a little while after he'd come into the drop ship when Jasper entered as well, staring at Bellamy with sad, silent eyes. Bellamy, however, saw right through them and he turned around, frustrated.

"Don't you think I want to go after them, too?"

Jasper hesitated. "If it was you out there, you think Monty, Clarke, or Finn would hide behind these walls?"

"No," Bellamy admitted truthfully as he turned to fully face Jasper. "They'd go after me. Then they'd be dead, too. I'm doing what I think is right for the group!"

Jasper took the gun Alessia gave him off his shoulder and put it down on the table with Bellamy's war strategy mapped out. Under his breath, he murmured, "It's funny, you didn't think that way when Octavia went missing."

Bellamy said nothing as Jasper walked around him to the ladder leading up to the different levels of the drop ship. Roughly, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"More gunpowder for your minefield!" Jasper saluted him bitterly and added before going up the ladder, "Sir."

Bellamy watched as Jasper climbed and Jasper just felt an anger inside of him rise. His friends were out there and Bellamy were trapping them inside of the camp as if they were animals without caring what happened to Finn, Clarke, and Monty. It was wrong, and everyone knew that Bellamy was acutely aware of it, he just didn't want to listen. And the one person that could possibly ever make him aware of it was nowhere to be found.

That was until Jasper climbed to the third level of the hatch and found it locked from the other side. He pushed at it, but there was something holding it from busting it open. Confused, Jasper opened his mouth to shout up to the top level, but just as he did, the hatch opened and Alessia was squatting by the entrance, weary to who it was. Seeing that it was only Jasper, she let out a sigh of relief and got up on her feet.

"Good. It's just you."

"Alessia," Jasper noted as he climbed the ladder and came up to the third level. With a grimace, she walked over to the spot she was at and grabbed her diary as she had before and sat down against the wall with her knees at her chest. "Bellamy's been looking everywhere for you."

"I'm sure he was, but I don't want to be found. Especially not by him. So when you leave, don't tell him I'm up here." She looked up at him pointedly. "I'll know it was you if he comes knocking."

"I won't," Jasper murmured as he walked over to the bucket of gunpowder by the table in the corner. "I can't believe he's keeping us from going after Clarke, Finn, and Monty."

She scoffed. "I can. Don't you remember? He's the 'whatever the hell we want' guy...he does what he wants when he wants and doesn't give a rat's ass about who it affects."

Jasper poured some of the gunpowder left into a container that Raven had given him, and wearily, he began. "Uh...is that supposed to be an indirect for what happened with Raven?"

Alessia looked up, surprised. "How do you know about that?" He opened his mouth to respond, but she sighed. "Margot, right?"

"She said you were upset."

"Why would I be upset? I'm not upset, not about that." She tapped her pencil against her journal. "I'm upset over the fact that this...arrogant _dickhead _is keeping me from finding my friends. They could be seriously hurt out there! We have to go get them."

"How do we do that?" Jasper asked softly, his eyes down to the ground. "Bellamy won't let us leave camp with guns, he made that clear."

"I don't care about what Bellamy will or won't do right now." She leaned her head up against the wall. "I'll...figure out a way, I promise. When I do, I'll come get you and Margot. I just need to be alone right now. Try to be ready by first light."

Jasper was hesitant to leave, but he could see that Alessia wanted to be alone. With a small nod, Jasper turned and walked down the ladder, closing the hatch as he left, and he made his descent to the lower level. Right as he was in view of the ground floor, he saw something extremely disturbing. Murphy was standing over Myles, his body still and cold, with a plastic bag right in his hand hovering over Myles's face. Seeing the witness, Murphy struggled for an excuse.

"H-He stopped breathing. I was—I was trying to help him."

Jasper knew it wasn't the truth, but he nodded anyways. Slowly, he moved down the last few steps of the ladder, aware of Murphy's cutting eyes at his back, and he turned his head to look at the gun he had set down when he had come in. He began to plan his moves in his mind, but before he could even get one foot on the ground and lunge for the gun, Murphy had it pointed at his head. Backing away, Jasper held up a hand at him.

"Murphy...just put the gun down."

"He tried to kill me." Jasper moved back, attempting to exit the drop ship, but Murphy held the gun tighter in his hand and pointed it more firmly at Jasper's head. "Hey! Don't. Move."

"Okay. Okay." Jasper looked between Murphy and Myles, who he was absolutely, without a doubt, positive that he was dead. Stealthily, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pressed the communication button on the radio. "It's cool."

"No, it's not," Murphy said slowly. "You know what'll happen to me if you tell Bellamy."

_Damn it, _Jasper thought as his finger slipped on the radio grip and, over the walkie-talkie, Bellamy growled, _"Tell Bellamy what?"_

Murphy was beyond angry, and Jasper could see it in Murphy's eyes that he had realized what it meant. With slow movements, Murphy said lowly, "Give me the radio, Jasper."

Slowly, Jasper took the walkie out of his pocket, his eyes focused on the barrel pointed at him. But he knew that if he didn't tell anyone, he was as good as dead. He brought the walkie up to his mouth and rushed out, "Murphy has a gun! He killed Myles—"

Before he could tell Bellamy anything else, Murphy took the gun and knocked Jasper out cold with it. Over the radio, he could hear Bellamy.

_"Murphy, what the hell are you doing?!"_

But Murphy didn't have any other option. He ran over to the door of the drop ship and pulled the lever to close it with a loud creak. He could hear Bellamy outside as the door came to a closer.

"Murphy! Murphy! Open the damn door!"

"You try to be a hero, Jasper dies!" Murphy shouted through the thick metal. Right as he did, he could feel another presence within the drop ship. Murphy looked behind him and saw Alessia as she stepped onto the level and saw the scene before her with widened eyes and she locked gazes with Murphy's murderous one.

"Murphy, what the hell did you do?" Alessia growled.

Murphy smiled at her. "Well, well. I'm gonna have some fun with you."

* * *

By the time word had spread through camp about what had happened with Jasper and Murphy, it was already light outside. Margot and Bellamy were standing at the drop ship door arguing about how to get inside to see Jasper when Octavia came running through the camp to her brother, stopping only when she was at his side.

"I just heard Murphy has Jasper!" she breathed out, panicked. Bellamy turned to her and nodded calmly.

"Yeah. South foxhole done?"

"What?" Octavia narrowed her eyes at him. "Bellamy, my friend's in there with a killer!"

"O, look around. No one's working," he chastised. She rolled her eyes and brushed past him. "If the Grounders attack us right now, we're all dead!"

"Murphy!" Octavia screamed, ignoring her brother's warning behind her. "Murphy, if you even _touch _Jasper, I swear to God, you're dead!"

"Octavia...Octavia, I got this!" Bellamy shouted over her. She turned to him angrily.

"Really? Because it doesn't look like you're doing anything about it!"

Right as she said the words, Raven came up behind Bellamy quietly and murmured, "Bellamy, you were right. There's a loose panel on the back. If I can pop it, we can get in through the floor."

"Good. Do it."

Once Raven was gone back around the drop ship to continue with her plan, Octavia looked at her brother with apologetic eyes. "Sorry."

"We need to find Alessia," Margot pushed beside Bellamy as his sister walked away. "If we find her, she'll know how to handle him—"

"I don't know where she is, okay?" Bellamy told the young girl heatedly. "For all I know, she left with one of our guns to go find Clarke, Finn, and Monty. Knowing her, that's exactly what she'd do. I can handle this."

"It's Jasper, Bellamy. I already lost one friend because you won't let us go after him," Margot said through her teeth. "Don't make me lose another."

He looked at her to respond, but thought it best not to. Instead, he brought the walkie talkie in his hand up to his mouth and he pressed down on the button to communicate.

"Murphy, I know you can hear me. All our ammo and food is in the middle level. You know that! You're leaving us vulnerable to an attack, I can't let that happen!"

_"Yeah, well, in case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly in control right now."_

"Come on, Murphy. You don't want to hurt Jasper, you want to hurt me."

Inside the drop ship, Murphy looked to his side as he surveyed Jasper, tied up with his hands behind his back and seatbelt fabric from the first day used as a gag so he couldn't speak. Beside him, Alessia struggled against her bound hands and feet in one of the actual seats that were left in the drop ship from the landing. He could hear her defeated grunts, but they were muffled dramatically by the seatbelt gag in her mouth. Hearing Bellamy's voice over the radio, she looked up at Murphy and saw the evil in his eyes as Bellamy came to a very dangerous deal.

"So what do you say?" Bellamy continued outside the door. "How about you trade him for me?"

Behind him, Octavia rushed forward. "No!"

He ignored her. "All you have to do is let him go and I'll take his place."

_"How?"_

"Bellamy," Octavia hissed at him, delaying her brother's response. "If you do this, he'll kill you."

"If I don't, he'll kill Jasper."

"You can't!" Margot grabbed Bellamy's arm roughly. "There has to be a better way! You may be a dick, but you can't die! But Jasper can't die either and...oh, dear lord, I'm going to faint."

Octavia helped Margot as she tried to fan herself for air, but as she did, Bellamy spoke through the radio again. "Simple. You open the door, I walk in, he walks out."

Everyone outside the door waited for a response from Murphy, all duties regarding protection delayed indefinitely as they held their breath for a deal. Suddenly, behind Bellamy and Octavia, the drop ship door opened with another creak, and all gunmen outside pointed at the door just in case.

"Just you, Bellamy!" Murphy screamed out from inside the ship. "Unarmed! Ten seconds or I'll put one in Jasper's leg!"

Bellamy handed his gun to Miller and his knife to Octavia just as Murphy counted up in the background. Before he could go inside, Octavia stepped in his way.

"Raven will find a way to get you out," she promised him quietly.

"I can handle Murphy. Get everyone back to work, the Grounders are still coming." With a reassuring touch on his sister's shoulder, he stepped up just before the door and listened as Murphy climbed to his fifth second. "I'm here!"

Murphy went silent, and Bellamy stepped onto the door and walked inside. The people of the camp held their breath again as Jasper was rolled out and the door closed was he was on solid ground, falling right in front of Octavia with a grunt. Margot and Octavia both helped Jasper get untied and took the gag out of his mouth, but the minute he was free to speak, he looked at the two of them and then back at the drop ship with wide eyes.

"She's in there," Jasper breathed out.

"Who?" Octavia inquired.

"Alessia," he clarified as he climbed to his feet with Margot and Octavia's help. "Alessia's in there with Murphy, s-she was in the drop ship before and she..."

He trailed off right as the drop ship door closed, and all three of the teenagers looked at it with realization. Margot sighed.

"Shit."

It didn't take long for Bellamy to realize the duplicity once he'd gotten inside of the drop ship and the door was closed behind him. It was right when the light faded from the ship when he noticed Alessia sitting in one of the seats, her hands bound as well and her mouth forcibly pulled back by the seatbelt. As Murphy pulled the lever and closed the drop ship door, forcing Bellamy forward, he turned his neck and looked at him with widened eyes.

"You didn't say she was in here!"

"You didn't ask," Murphy countered. When they were far enough away from the door, Murphy walked around Bellamy to face his front with the gun pointed right at Bellamy's head. Bellamy kept his hands at his sides, though he was terrified of the barrel in his face. He pointed to the seatbelts at Bellamy's feet. "Tie those together."

"Let her go," Bellamy said calmly. "This is between you and me, like I said. You don't want to hurt her."

"She might not have had anything to do with me getting strung up on that tree, but you're wrong. I do want to hurt her." Murphy turned the gun from pointing at Bellamy and instead held it right up to Alessia's head, where she tensed. Bellamy watched her immediately stiffen and he looked up at Murphy with furious eyes. "And I will."

"Murphy, just—" Bellamy inched forward, but Murphy took the gun away from Alessia's head and fired it at the ground a few feet away from Bellamy, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. When Bellamy stopped, Murphy pointed the gun back at Alessia.

"Do you want her to get hurt?" Murphy asked harshly. Bellamy said nothing, but shook his head tightly. "No? That's good. Then do what I said."

Bellamy let out a frustrated sigh and looked at Alessia, who was partially terrified and partially pissed off. He frowned. "This is what happens when you get pissed and run off, Robin Hood."

"Screw you, Messiah," she spat, but it came out as a bunch of jumbled words as the result of the gag in her mouth. Before Murphy could press harder about killing Robin Hood, there was a noise over the radio he held in his hand.

_"Bellamy? Bellamy, are you okay?" _Octavia demanded through the radio. Without relaxing his hold on the gun, Murphy turned his head to Bellamy.

"Want her to know you're alive? Start tying."

_"Bellamy, do you copy?"_

Hesitantly, Bellamy dropped to the floor and started to do what Murphy pushed him to. Hearing Octavia again, Bellamy said loudly, "I'm fine! Now stop worrying about me and get back to work, all of you. And tell Raven to hurry her ass up."

"All right." Murphy took his hand off of the comm button and dropped the walkie to his side. "That's long enough. Tie those two ends together." He did as said, and once he finished, Murphy took in a deep breath and jerked his head upwards. "All right, now get up and toss it over."

As Bellamy lifted himself from the floor, Alessia kicked and screamed muffled sounds in immediate protest, and Bellamy stopped but Murphy's grip tightened on the gun pointed at her head. He shoved the barrel forward, knocking her around a bit as a warning for her to quit it.

"Stop!" Murphy growled at her, but she kicked until it was useless and lifted her eyes to burn through Murphy's, aware of the gun at her head. "I'll blow your head off, Robin Hood, I swear."

"Go float yourself," she muttered incoherently.

"What was that?" he taunted her, pressing the gun harder to her skull. She tried to jerk away from the gun as much as she could and repeated herself, louder but still as garbled. Once she stopped, Murphy looked up at Bellamy, who was just standing idly with the tied seatbelts in his hands. Murphy raised his volume. "I said, toss it over!"

At the loud threat, Bellamy did what was asked. When he looked back at Murphy, he found Murphy staring at him with an intent in his eye that Bellamy didn't enjoy looking at.

"What do you want me to say? You want me to apologize? I'm—" Again, when Bellamy tried to move an inch, Murphy tilted the gun at Alessia's head and she closed her eyes, extremely peeved that she was the one who had to play the hostage. Behind the seat, she tried desperately to do whatever she could to get out of the knot binding her hands behind her back but Murphy had done an annoyingly good job at it. It would take some time. Bellamy froze again. "I'm sorry."

Murphy smiled. "You got it all wrong, Bellamy. I don't want you to _say_ anything. I want you to feel what I felt, watch your girlfriend get what she deserves, and then I want you to die." Bellamy swallowed thickly and Murphy's eyes looked at a step stool in the corner. He nodded at it. "Grab that." Bellamy obliged. "Stand on it." He looked up at the noose hanging just a few inches away, and the next command came clearly, expected from Bellamy after he stood on the stool. "Put it over your head."

But Bellamy was done taking commands. "This is insane. The Grounders could—"

With his lips in a hard line, Murphy pointed the gun down at Alessia's leg and he pulled the trigger. A bullet went right through her flesh, causing her to let out a strangled cry as the pain spread from the bullet wound in her leg. She snarled in a mixture of pain and anger and looked down to see the blood spread. When she lifted her eyes, she found Bellamy staring at her, and all she did was shake her head. She was gonna die anyway—Murphy would see to it. There was no point in him beating around the bush. At least if Bellamy manned up, they would have a chance to get out alive. But instead of doing what she wanted him to, Bellamy just conceded to Murphy's demands.

Murphy reached out and tangled the seatbelt line over his hand. He repeated, "Put it over your head."

With a locked jaw, Bellamy grabbed the noose and fit it over his head so that it was around his neck. "Happy now?"

Murphy pulled the line tightly, causing Bellamy to rise. He tried to make a fist between the fabric of the belt and his neck, but he knew it wouldn't last for long. Murphy's cold eyes stared up at him with hatred.

"You're so brave, aren't you? I mean, you came in here thinking you're just gonna turn this whole thing around. That you were stronger than me. That maybe one of your friends would come and help you. Well, what are you thinking now, Bellamy? Hmm?" He tightened his grip again and there was an automatic protest from Alessia in the corner as Bellamy struggled to stay on the stool. Despite the pain she could feel in her leg, she blocked it out and did whatever she could to get her hands unbound. "You know, Bellamy, I've got to hand it to you. You've got 'em all fooled. They actually look up to you, almost as much as they look up to Clarke. Yeah, well, we know the truth, don't we? You're a coward. I learned that the day you kicked out the crate from beneath me! Isn't that what you said? That you were just giving the people what they wanted, right?"

Bellamy stared at Murphy with as much sincere sorrow he could muster. "I should've stopped them."

"Yeah. It's a little late for that now."

"What do you think's gonna happen?" Bellamy spat. "You think they're just gonna let you walk out of here?"

"Well, I think the Princess is dead." His voice was flat and cold as he looked up at Bellamy calmly. "But I know the King's about to die, along with Robin Hood. So who's really gonna lead these people, huh? Me, that's who; and yeah, maybe I'll have to kill your Grounder-pounding little sister—"

Bellamy kicked him, an immediate reaction to something so crude about his little sister. Enraged, Murphy stormed over to the sling of belts Bellamy had tied together and tugged on them. Alessia didn't waste her breaths muffling screams, but she grunted as she felt the tie behind her start to give and her heartbeat sped up as she desperately picked up the pace on freeing her own hands. Bellamy struggled on the crate, and suddenly, there was a close yelp from underneath the floor.

Murphy stopped, letting Bellamy relax. "I'm guessing that's her right now."

Bellamy screamed as Murphy fired gunshots at the floor until he ran out of them. Alessia could feel the knot slipping but too much was happening with Bellamy and Murphy before she was able to get loose. By the time she was able to get her hands untied, Murphy had kicked out the stool beneath Bellamy's feet, leaving him struggling to gasp for air as he hung from the noose and tried to use his hands to get underneath the fabric.

"Using your hands is a cheat." Alessia quickly unknotted the ties at her feet while Murphy moved towards Bellamy and snatched his hands from his throat. "Mine were bound, remember?"

She could hear Bellamy punch him just as she managed to get out of the chair. As she stood, she could feel the wound in her leg, but she didn't feel a bullet, which meant it had gone straight through. Though the pain was blinding, it was somewhat bearable, and she managed to rush forward. She watched as Murphy fell to the floor as an impact of Bellamy's hit and she took the gag out of her mouth without a sound and ran over to the seatbelts holding Bellamy up. Right as she was about to reach up and unbuckle the seatbelts to free Bellamy, she was attacked by Murphy, who started to throw punches at her. She blocked them with whatever strength she had left and managed to get at least three good hits in before luck turned against her. Murphy shoved her back so hard that her head banged on the ladder leading to the upper levels and Alessia dropped to the ground, knocked out cold. Just as her body fell with hard noise, Murphy listened as the door creaked behind him. He didn't care how it happened, but he turned to the ladder beside him and started to climb as high as he could.

"Raven, you did it!" Jasper shouted as the door came down. When it was on the ground, everyone with a gun flooded inside, Jasper leading them. Seeing Bellamy hung up, Jasper dropped the gun so it rested on his back and he tried to push Bellamy up so that he wasn't choking.

"Bell, hold on!" Octavia shouted. She ran over to the seatbelts and unclipped them, where Bellamy dropped to the ground with a thud, gasping for air. "Bell, breathe!"

Once they managed to get the seatbelt off his neck, Jasper turned to the floor and shouted, "Raven, he's fine!"

"Murphy!" Bellamy bellowed once he'd gotten air into his lungs. He lifted himself from the floor and walked to the ladder. "Murphy! It's over! Give it up!" He climbed the ladder to the top level, where he was unable to get inside from something blocking it. He shouted Murphy's name, but there was no answer, not that he would give up. He pushed and pushed at the door, knowing whatever was blocking it would inevitably break. "There's only one way out of this for you now!"

A few moments passed where Bellamy managed to get the door to open further and further. But suddenly, there was a loud explosion sound, and when Bellamy was able to break whatever was restraining him, the entire hatch was clouded with smoke.

"Murphy!" Bellamy looked around for him, but all that was left was a big exit hole where Bellamy looked out and could see Murphy running to get away from the camp. Bellamy felt Jasper join him as he looked out into the distance.

"Guy knows how to make an exit," Jasper murmured. "Should we go after him?"

"No," Bellamy replied. "The Grounders will take care of Murphy. We're going after Clarke, Finn, and Monty. Two guns, you and Margot. That's it."

Jasper looked at him, surprised, but Bellamy didn't say anything else. He just jogged over to the hatch and climbed down it as fast as he could. Once he was down on the first level, he could see Margot and Octavia trying to help Alessia up as she slowly regained consciousness. Bellamy walked over to them.

"I've got her. Go outside," he demanded them. Margot and Octavia exchanged an offended glance, but the two of them obliged the leader and walked outside. Jasper, who was behind Bellamy, decided to go with Margot and Octavia, leaving Bellamy and Alessia alone in the drop ship. Slowly, Bellamy bent down to Alessia's side and watched her as she blinked a few times to get aware of her surroundings.

"Where the hell is he?" Alessia grumbled as she tried to sit up. Bellamy helped her, keeping his hands on her arm to make sure that she didn't collapse even in the half-upright position. "I'll kill him, where the hell—"

"Let it go, Alessia," Bellamy told her as she brought her hand up and felt the blood on her forehead from where she'd been banged up. "Murphy's long gone by now."

"Damn it." She sighed and swallowed dryly before looking at him. "Are you okay?"

"Me? You got shot in the damn leg and were knocked unconscious."

She looked down at her leg and shook her head at it, though it made her extremely dizzy. Holding her head, she muttered, "It's through and through. A flesh wound. I'll live." For a moment, she looked distracted, but then sharply, she turned to him and nearly spat, "Besides, you're one to talk! You were nearly hung by a crazy ass murderer!"

"I'll live," he responded and swung her arm that closest to him around his shoulder, attempting to lift her up. "Can you walk?"

"I'm...I'm fine." Once she got onto the floor, she slipped herself out of Bellamy's grasp and shook him off. "I can handle myself, Blake. I've been doing it for 18 goddamn years. One messed up psychopath isn't going to slow me down."

He could still see the trace of anger in her eyes and found it unbelievable that a girl like her could hold a grudge for so long. Bellamy knew she wasn't happy with him, but after the day they'd had, he expected a little more gratitude. "You know, I did everything he asked so he wouldn't kill you. The least I can get is a 'thank you'."

"No one asked you to!" Alessia shouted, a little more loudly than she'd thought she had, causing her voice to echo inside the empty drop ship. She seemed to realize immediately that it was too harsh, so softly, she repeated, "I didn't ask you to."

"What do you want me to do here?" he replied incredulously. "Do you want me to apologize to you? Will that help?"

"I don't need an apology from you, Blake! All I want is to find—"

"I'm going to send Jasper and Margot out to look for Clarke, Finn, and Monty." Alessia silenced, slightly taken back by the statement. Bellamy nodded cautiously. "You were right. We don't abandon our own. But we lost a day because of this, and our gunpowder. So if we're going to at least stand a chance against these Grounders, we need to be on the same page. Can you handle that?"

For a moment, she was silent, but at last, she nodded. "I can handle that."

"Good." Bellamy and Alessia stood facing each other for a long time before he swallowed, waiting for her to say something. When it didn't look like she would, he turned to go, but it was then when she stopped him.

"Bellamy?" He turned around at her. "Thank you."

It wasn't like he'd never heard her say 'thank you' before. It shouldn't have been a big deal; the very first day they spent together on the search party with Clarke and Wells to look for Jasper, he'd saved her from falling into that trap door and she'd thanked him for it. It was a sincere, yet still weary thank you, and the difference between that one and this one was that it was genuine. But it wasn't about the gratitude, it was about the action. Bellamy realized, in that moment and in that moment only, that earlier, he was willing to stand up on a stool and do what a crazy ass psychopath told him to so that he wouldn't kill her. And just like that, whatever he felt he had fixed the night before in regards to sleeping with Raven and Alessia finding out, seemed like a complete waste.

Right as he opened his mouth to say something, there was a sudden commotion outside. Her attention was diverted, as was his, and when she stepped forward, Bellamy and Alessia exchanged a weary glance. Within seconds, they were out in the center of camp where all of those who had weapons moved to the south gate. Before any damage could be done, after looking over his post at the gate, Miller turned around sharply.

"Wait! Hold your fire! It's Clarke and Finn, open the gate!"

Within seconds of the gate being open, Clarke and Finn jogged through the entrance and were sealed inside. Clarke came to a slow at Alessia and Bellamy and Alessia, relieved, pulled Clarke in for a hug. At first, Clarke hugged her back, but when Alessia pulled away, Clarke breathed out, "We heard an explosion. What happened?"

"Murphy happened," Bellamy replied.

"Are you two okay?" Alessia looked between Finn and Clarke. "Myles said the Grounders took you."

"Clarke! Finn!" Margot jogged up to Alessia's side with Jasper on her tail and she slowed down with a disappointed expression as she realized Monty wasn't with them. "Wait, where's Monty?"

Clarke's face turned down. "Monty's gone?"

"Clarke!" Finn caught her attention briskly. "We need to leave. Now. All of us do."

"Leave?" Alessia repeated, shaking her head, confused. Finn nodded at her impatiently.

"There's an army of Grounders...unlike anything we've ever seen coming for us right now! We need to pack what we can and run."

"Like hell we do!" Bellamy contested. "We knew this was coming."

"Bell," Octavia warned him from beside Finn. The crowd around them formed a circle around those in the center. "We're not prepared."

"And they're not here yet! We still have time to get ready. Besides, where would we go? Where would we be safer than behind these walls?"

"There's an ocean to the East," Finn responded. "People there will help us."

"You saw Lincoln," Octavia breathed out, almost in relief. Finn nodded, but Bellamy shook his head tightly.

"You expect us to trust a Grounder?" He turned to The 100. "This is our home now! We built this with nothing from our bare hands! Our dead are buried behind that wall in this ground! Our ground! The Grounders think they can take that away...they think that because we came from the sky, we don't belong here! But they've yet to realize one very important fact: we are on the ground now. And that means _we_ are Grounders!"

"Yeah!" the crowd chorused as someone within it added, "Grounders with guns!"

"Damn right!" Bellamy agreed explicitly. "I say let 'em come!"

He turned back at Clarke, who stepped forward and addressed the crowd in her own manner. Her voice was less deep, less throaty and scratchy as Bellamy's was, and she spoke with articulate words that seemed to penetrate the minds of everyone under their rule.

"Bellamy's right," Clarke confessed. "If we leave, we may never find a place as safe as this. And God knows, in this world, we could be faced with something _even _worse tomorrow! But that doesn't change the simple fact that if we stay here, we will die _tonight. _So pack your things. Just take what you can carry. Now!"

And the crowd dispersed, following Clarke's orders over Bellamy's. Bellamy looked at Clarke and realized the power she held, but she didn't apologize for it. She was doing what she thought was best.

"Help me!"

In the mixture of murmurs from the people in the crowd, Clarke, Finn, Octavia, Jasper, Margot, Bellamy, and Alessia all heard the soft cry. Looking towards the drop ship where the plead had come from, Raven walked out from behind it, limping with her hand at her side.

"Raven," Bellamy noticed as everyone rushed to her side. Finn was the first to reach, standing right beside his ex-girlfriend as Jasper gasped.

"Murphy shot her," he realized. Finn picked Raven up in his arms.

"Get her into the drop ship," Clarke demanded. Finn took her inside as quickly as he could and Alessia, Margot, and Jasper followed them in. Clarke moved for it, too, but Bellamy stopped her.

"Clarke, leaving here is a mistake."

"The decision's been made," she urged.

"Crowds make bad decisions! Just ask Murphy." He paused. "Leaders do what they think is right."

She stepped away from him, nodding. "I am."

* * *

"What if we jettison sections three through seven?" Kane proposed, but he knew it wouldn't work, he was just hoping that something would come up and he would get an idea about how to save them all. Calix and Sinclair were inside of the ring that controlled the simulation boards, and Sinclair let out a frustrated sigh.

"Sir, we've run every scenario...twice. There are no more options," Sinclair spoke quietly. "I would really like to be with my wife."

Kane turned around. "Then, please. Mr. Mercer can handle it, I'm sure."

Calix looked up at Kane with widened, disbelieving eyes, but Sinclair looked exhausted and just on the verge of being angry. With a sigh, Calix nodded to Sinclair and stepped into his place as Sinclair turned and left the ring to exit the station. Kane turned back to the power boards, but right as he did, a door opened behind them. Sinclair hadn't been able to leave before, and so his voice rung out.

"Chancellor on deck," he announced professionally, tensing up.

"At ease, Sinclair." Sinclair relaxed. "Anything to report?"

Kane let out a disappointed sigh. "No, Sir. Nothing we've tried will save the Ark."

"Have you tried not saving it?" Jaha proposed. Right as he began, Abby Griffin came into Earth Monitoring and spoke up.

"What is this about?"

"It's about...going home," the Chancellor explained. "From where I stand, we have two options: die in space or probably die trying to get to the ground."

"We have no more exodus ships, Sir," Kane explained.

"You're wrong, Kane. There is one. We call it the Ark." Everyone around him listened intently, absolutely stunned at the idea. "Sinclair, please tell us what would happen if we use the thrusters that keep the Ark in orbit to propel us into the atmosphere instead?"

"The Ark would break apart." It was Calix who said it, not Sinclair. Sinclair gave him a look, and Calix cleared his throat before adding, "I mean...the Ark would break apart...Sir."

"First into its original twelve stations then further as the violence intensified," Sinclair finished unsurely. "Ninety-five percent of the structures would explode on the way down."

The Chancellor rolled out a transparent blueprint of their space station and handed it to Calix. "You think you're smart enough to pinpoint the five percent that wouldn't?"

"Me? No, Sir." Calix laughed and turned to Sinclair standing next to Abby. "But I'm sure you can."

Sinclair walked around the station so that he could look at the blueprints, and a smile came onto his lips as he realized that it could be possible. Kane looked at everyone incredulously.

"Are we really gonna do this? Bring the _Ark_ to the ground?"

Jaha turned at him. "Do you have a better idea?"

_TO BE CONTINUED..._

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**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

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**Ain'tEasyBeingBreezy: **Unfortunately, yes. I was struggling with it for a while and I almost didn't have it happen but I decided that I couldn't throw that part of the plot away because Bellamy isn't the kind of guy to just deny someone trying to have sex with him. It was a really crappy way for me to force him to stay in character so yeah, it kind of had to happen. But believe me, I wasn't happy about it.

**katiesgotagun: **Thanks! Bellamy...might be thinking what you're thinking but he isn't going to be communicating it for a while. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint the anticipation! That would suck. Anyways, here it is; fortunately, you didn't have to wait too long for it!

**WinchesterDixonBros: **I wrote it and I don't even agree with it lol. Yes, but it was meant to be understood. I tried to touch on Bellamy's thoughts a bit so it wasn't all confusing where no one knew why he slept with Raven, he just did. It kind of gives a more complex meaning to his character the way I see it though, having him really struggle with the fact that he likes this girl and he doesn't want to. Alessia's definitely not like other girls so she wouldn't hold it against Raven for something that she knew Bellamy was responsible for. I can't say they're going to really be as close friends as Clarke and Alessia but they're definitely going to have something in common after 2x08.

**sydhuman: **Thank you! Yeah I figured Bellamy needed someone to argue with him enough that he sees the right way to go. Clarke kind of does that but she mostly just leads everyone alongside him. Bellamy needs a...mentor of sorts? Is that the right word? Who knows. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**Momsen-xxxx: **You are not alone. I want to bitch slap him too.

**Aileen O'Neill: **I actually updated this chapter for her too because she had a really shitty day today and I figured this would cheer her up. The reunion will hopefully be worth it but I have to figure out exactly how to do it because with Kane and Alessia, they're so alike, it makes things hard for them to fix. It'll probably be a lot like their interaction on the video feed. They'll both know how they feel but they won't have to communicate it as much as Clarke and her mother would, for instance. The missile attack on Tondc will seriously be one of the major developments between Kane and Alessia and even Alessia and Calix. Thank you for saying that! It helps me through this painful break too. Like I've said, I'm literally dying inside.

**ThaliaGrace318: **Thank you! It should definitely be a very interesting reunion.

**voidlahey: **That cover gave me so much grief lol but thanks for noticing it! Shelley Hennig is pretty awesome. I know she's on Teen Wolf now but I watched The Secret Circle before it got cancelled and I have this list of actresses for my stories and I realized she would be perfect for it. Thanks! Bellessia is pretty awesome ;)

**Nirvana14: **Thank you!

**Loosing Myself in Love: **Thank you! Yeah, they're pretty adorable sometimes. Even more adorable when they're angry at each other.

**pureO: **Thank you! In the fifth chapter we kind of saw the kind of person Alessia is when it comes to jealousy...she knows her boundaries. She and Bellamy weren't anywhere near together in the fifth chapter but in that last one, she'd slept with him but she wasn't willing to let him get the best of her so it's pretty obvious she's jealous as crap but she won't let anyone know, she kind of just focused her attention on Clarke, Finn, and Monty. I'm glad that people are excited to see me post, it makes me feel a little less weird about posting so often. Though that eventually will stop once this weekend ends, it's nice to know that it's not for nothing. You want to know a funny story? I ship Bellarke sooooo much. I mostly ship it in the books but even in the show, sometimes I kind of just sit there and I think about Bellarke and I smile. Which is why I try really hard not to take some of those scenes away in this story but I like writing OC stories so sometimes it's necessary. But I'm actually really surprised to hear that (it's a good surprised though). Here's the update I hope you enjoyed it!


	13. We Are Grounders: Part 2

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

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**We Are Grounders**

**Part 2**

Raven's screams pierced all the ears of all those who were outside the drop ship and did even worse damage to those inside. Clarke, Finn, Bellamy, and Alessia all hovered over the injured mechanic who had a bullet wound in a worse place than Alessia had hers. Clarke set down her heated blade in a place where it would cool after she'd cauterized the wound.

"That'll stop the external bleeding," Clarke muttered, her voice less than convincing. Finn looked down at Raven, still shell-shocked.

"I don't understand. How did Murphy get a gun?"

"Super long story, Spacewalker." Alessia waved her hand dismissively. "Bottom line is, he got one."

"Are you sure you don't want me to look at that?" Clarke pressed as she pointed to Alessia's bullet wound on the side of her leg. Alessia crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

"Don't worry about me, Clarke. It's a flesh wound. Barely hurts anymore."

From her position lying down, Raven let out a long-winded sigh from her position. "We got lucky. If Murphy hit the fuel tank instead of me, we'd all be dead."

Clarke's eyes widened. "Wait, there's rocket fuel down there? Enough to build a bomb?"

"Enough to build a hundred bombs. If we had any gunpowder left."

"Let's get back to the Reapers," Bellamy urged as he looked through Lincoln's journal that Clarke and Finn had brought from their unfortunate expedition outside of the wall. Strategizing, he suggested, "Maybe they'll help us. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"

"Not this enemy." Clarke's voice was cold and dead serious. "We saw them, trust me. It's not an option."

"There's no time for this!" Finn rushed out and looked at Clarke. "Can she walk or not?"

Clarke shook her head. "No. We have to carry her."

"The hell you will! I'm good to go." Raven tried to sit up straight, but almost the minute she got up to her elbows, Clarke pushed her down gently.

"Hey! Listen to me. That bullet is still inside you. If by some miracle there's no internal bleeding, it might hold until we get somewhere safe. But you are _not_ walking there. Is that clear?"

At the coldness in Clarke's tone, Raven laid back down where she was placed in the drop ship with a defeated sigh. Almost immediately, Finn got up from his knees and moved to walk out. "I'll get the stretcher."

"Can't run away fast enough, huh? Real brave." Bellamy murmured, louder than one normally would because he wanted Finn to hear it. Finn turned back at him immediately, offended by the comment.

"Dying in a fight you can't win isn't brave, Bellamy! It's stupid."

"Spoken like every coward who's ever run from a fight—"

"Hey!" Alessia shouted at the two of them from a distance, her voice hard and loud, yet still almost the same as she was normally. Bellamy and Finn didn't move their stares from each other. "Chill it with the testosterone in here, okay? That's enough. Finn, go get the stretcher. We have to leave."

"If they follow." Bellamy turned around at her sharply. "It's a 120-mile walk to the ocean."

"Look, we're wasting time!" Finn snapped and looked over at Alessia pointedly. "If he wants to stay, he can stay."

"No, he can't!" Clarke was the one to say it as she watched Finn go out. Alessia could see her struggle with whether to go after Finn or stay and talk to Bellamy, but with a slight nod of her head, Alessia let Clarke follow after Finn's pursuit and leave Bellamy, Raven, and Alessia inside of the drop ship.

Alessia walked around Raven and over to Bellamy softly. She began as sincere as she could. "We can't do this without you. You have to come with us."

"What do you want me to say, Alessia?"

She could tell that he said the words through his teeth, his jaw locked and his body tense. She bit down on her lip and watched him as he fought for the right to fight, but she knew that wasn't an option for them. "Look, those kids out there, they listen to you. They listened to you and your idiot plan the very first day we landed here and they still listen to you. Say that you're with us."

"They're lining up to go. They listen to Clarke more." He paused. "Just like you."

"She gave them an easy choice. She gave _me _an easy choice." She looked around the drop ship in nostalgia. "The last thing I ever expected to do when I came down here was spearhead a war. I never wanted that—I still don't want that. The more lives we spare, the better. That isn't cowardice, Bellamy. It's just...the right thing to do."

Bellamy watched as she nodded to him firmly, trusting that he'd do the right thing. But whether or not Bellamy went with them, they were still going; she just hoped that he didn't decide to stay and die. Merely minutes passed before Clarke and Finn had everyone out of the gate, moving in formation with guns alert for any Grounder activity. Alessia was making sure that the gunners knew how to proceed in the forest, having planned a circular ring of gunners surrounding those unprotected that were carrying supplies and such. As she waited for the last gunners to leave the camp, she realized that there was still one person left: Bellamy. He stared up at the drop ship longingly and then turned just as Clarke reentered their grounds and the three came together in the middle.

"You did good here, Bellamy," Clarke assured him.

He frowned. "18 dead."

"82 alive. You did good."

"Both of you," Alessia added as she looked between Clarke and Bellamy, making sure not to discredit Clarke on her own job. "You both saved more lives than we lost. Don't ever forget that."

The three of them were silent, breathing in the fresh air of which they'd gotten so accustomed to ever since Octavia's first step on the ground. Reaching behind Clarke, Bellamy used one of the last barrels of water they had and turned, walking over to the fire and putting it out so that it went up in smoke. As he did so, Clarke turned to Alessia.

"You did good, too," Clarke said firmly. Alessia wanted to protest, but she didn't think it was necessary. She knew she wasn't a leader, but if Clarke wanted to thank her, she wouldn't object. Bellamy turned back at Clarke and Alessia and he tossed the barrel to the side, where the three of them turned, the last ones to leave their camp. Everyone moved forward and towards the ocean where Octavia led the group, knowing where to go. Once a few paces away from the entrance to their camp, Clarke wandered through the crowd and probably found her way to Raven so she could assess whether or not it was safe for her to continue. Meanwhile, towards the back of the crowd, Alessia and Bellamy walked on, each equipped with a gun in their hand.

It was too silent amongst the murmurs of the crowd for Alessia. She'd never been one for awkward silences, so quietly, she whispered to Bellamy, "You know what I'm gonna miss most about the camp?"

"What?"

Looking over her shoulder, she watched as he smiled and couldn't help but smile, herself. "I'm gonna miss my tree."

After she turned around, she could hear Bellamy pause for a moment before correcting, "You mean _our _tree."

"No, I mean _my_ tree. What are you—?" At first, she was genuinely confused as to why he'd correct her. She'd found that tree since the second day they were on Earth and he knew nothing about it, so it would make sense to be confused over why he'd think that they suddenly had shared ownership. But then, she realized, and she snorted. "Oh. You mean that tree."

"Is there another tree I don't know about?"

"Yes, but..." She trailed off and laughed. "Forget it. Some things never change."

Bellamy cocked an eyebrow from behind her, his eyes elsewhere as he responded, "Is that a bad thing?"

She looked behind her and caught his gaze. "I haven't decided yet."

Bellamy laughed quietly and she turned her head back to look at the open woods. Right as she did, suddenly everyone stopped as if it were a domino effect until everyone was at a standstill. There was a faint noise in the distance, but it was hardly audible.

"What the hell is going on?" Alessia tried to stand taller and see over the mounds of people, but even Bellamy who was a few inches taller wasn't quite sure, himself. He opened his mouth to respond, but right as he did, something flew in the air and the next thing they could hear was the sound of a body dropping. It all seemed clear when Jasper's voice rang out from the front of the group.

"Grounders!"

Everyone broke out into a sprint, running in the opposite direction from whatever had happened, but Bellamy and Alessia ran even faster so they could get back first and lead everyone inside. There were too many indistinct shouts, cries of terror, and demands from those herding the crowd. The second everyone was inside of the gate, a dozen people struggled to close it for fear of their life. Bellamy stood by the side of the gate, standing on their mound that allowed them to see into the forest. With his gun cocked at the entrance, he felt Alessia come beside him with her own gun.

"You see anyone?"

"No," he responded. Clarke joined them then, looking for herself to see who was attacking. But no one stood outside the entrance; there was nothing but ground. "Where are they? Why aren't they attacking?"

"Because we're doing exactly what they wanted us to do." The revelation came from Clarke's breathless lips.

"What?" Alessia asked the blonde, but Clarke turned around sharply and looked at Finn who was standing just below the mound.

"Lincoln said the scouts would be the first to arrive," Clarke announced. Octavia came up beside Finn.

"Well, if it's just scouts, we can fight our way out!" she voiced. "That's what Lincoln would do."

"We're done doing what that Grounder would do," Bellamy snapped icily as he jumped down from the mound and next to his sister. He pointed to the one who had been killed in the forest, apparently by some kind of throwing star. "We tried it and now Drew is dead. You want to be next?"

"'That Grounder' saved our lives!" Finn told him pointedly. "I agree with Octavia. For all we know, there's _one _scout out there!"

"One scout with insanely good aim," Jasper added.

"Clarke," Octavia pleaded. "We can still do this."

"Looking to you, Princess." Bellamy said the words after an untimely silence from their leader. "What's it gonna be? Run and get picked off out in the open or stand and fight back?"

He made it seem like the choice was so easy, but that was a result of her own bias. Alessia said nothing, her mind pulling her in two different directions about the matter. She had to trust Clarke to make the right decision beside her. But Clarke turned around and looked in the trees nervously, uncertain of what to do. Alessia turned around, attempting to help.

"Although we're safe behind these walls, I've been saying since day one that this isn't a magic border," she said quietly. Clarke looked over at her. "But on the flip side, we'll be more susceptible to an attack out there and you know it."

"Is that supposed to help?"

"It's supposed to be objective; which should help your decision." She nodded carefully and watched as Clarke dropped her eyes, thinking to herself. After a moment, Clarke's eyes snapped up and looked at Alessia.

"You decide."

"What?" Alessia blinked. Clarke nodded at her. "C-Clarke, I don't know if that's—"

"I trust you to know what's best," Clarke pushed and looked out into the crowd of people waiting for a decision, listening to the hushed tones between their Princess and Robin Hood. Alessia watched them as well and she fought an inner battle in her head.

_What would Kane do? _

Alessia looked at the crowd and tensed. She spoke loudly and directly to them, "We're staying! We're staying and we're fighting."

Bellamy helped her get down from the mound since jumping would make her injury worse. Once she was on the ground, Bellamy turned to the crowd powerfully. Octavia and Finn were clearly peeved, but Bellamy didn't skip a beat. "Okay, then! This is what we've been preparing for! Kill them before they kill us! Gunners, to your posts. Use the tunnels to get in and out. From now on, the gate stays closed!"

Clarke hopped off the mound herself, and right as she did, Finn grabbed her arm. "Clarke, if we're still here when Tristan gets here—"

"Lincoln said 'scouts'," she interrupted him, defending Alessia's decision. "More than one. He said 'get home _before _the scouts arrive'. Finn, they're already here! She made the right choice." She turned to Alessia and Bellamy as she watched them both come up to each other after handling the crowd. "So how the hell do we do this?"

Bellamy took her to the drop ship, where their entire plan was mapped out in a small visual presentation of their camp with trinkets from the drop ship and the ground. Finn followed, and Raven was already inside lying down from her bullet wound.

He explained, "We've got 25 rifles with 20 rounds each, give or take; roughly 500 rounds of ammo."

"While you guys were missing, Raven built land mines," Alessia informed them. "The entire gully is mined."

"Partially mined, thanks to Murphy," Raven corrected her. Alessia shrugged.

"It'll still blow these bastards to hell, Raven, no matter how many mines there are. It's the main route in." She looked up at Clarke and Finn with a nod. "Not only will it injure them, it'll let us know how close they are and where. It's like an alarm system."

"An alarm system that blows people up," Bellamy added before turning to his side and picking up a grenade from a box of them. "She also built grenades."

"It's not many," Clarke stated disappointedly.

"Again, thank you Murphy," Raven replied sourly.

Bellamy paused. "We'll make them count. If the Grounders make it through the front gate, guns and grenades should force them back."

Clarke looked between Alessia and Bellamy. "And then?"

"Then we close the door and pray." Raven spoke in turn of them, causing Clarke to look back at her with wide eyes.

"And pray what? That the ship keeps them out? Because it won't." She looked back at Bellamy and Alessia waiting for a concrete answer. Both of them looked at each other wearily; they knew their plan was incomplete, that was a given, but with everything that happened in regards to their argument and what happened with Murphy, they never had time to come up with an endgame.

Bellamy's eyes flickered down to their display and he sighed. "Then let's not let them get through the gate." He brought the radio up to his hand and said sternly into the receiver, "All foxholes, listen up. Keep your eyes and ears open. Inflict casualties as many as possible. You can hold them off long enough to make them turn back; that's the plan."

Finn grimaced. "That's always your plan, just like the bomb at the bridge."

"Damn right. You got a better idea?"

"Yeah, I had one." He looked at Alessia. "Until Robin Hood here decided to ignore it."

"Your plan was just as half-baked as this one, Spacewalker," she snapped angrily, crossing her arms. Finn scoffed. "Don't look at me like that, you know it's true. I tried to work on a way to fix all of this but needless to say, I got a little sidetracked in the midst of everything going on in the past 48 hours! So right now, we're pretty much screwed." Alessia leaned down on the table where the model was and she rocked back and forth on her heels for a moment. "Until I can figure out what to _do_."

"It can't be that simple," Clarke whispered as she looked down at the model a few inches from Alessia's clenched fists. Alessia's eyes drifted up to Clarke's, as did Finn and Bellamy's, and suddenly, Clarke turned around to Raven. "You said there's fuel in those rockets, right? Enough to build a _hundred_ bombs?"

Raven frowned. "I also said we've got no gunpowder left."

"I don't want to build a bomb." Clarke looked back at Alessia with a nod. "I want—"

"To blast off," Alessia finished, her eyes widening as she straightened. "Clarke! That's brilliant! Beyond brilliant, it's genius!"

"Draw them in close..." Raven trailed off, looking up at Clarke in appreciation. "Fire the rockets. A ring of fire."

"Barbecued Grounders. I like it," Bellamy added.

Finn turned to Raven and said, somewhat in a mixture of optimism and pessimism, "Will it work?"

She hesitated. "The wiring's a mess down there but...but yeah. You give me enough time, I'll cook 'em real good."

* * *

"Here's how we bring the Ark to the ground," Sinclair began to explain to those listening inside of Earth Monitoring. He had three of the power boards up for everyone to watch the simulation of their solution. "Stage one: separation from Go-Sci. Series of explosions sever the ring we're now standing in from the rest of the Ark. Now, once we have separation, all port thrusters will fire and our orbit will begin to degrade. Stage two: reentry. Reentry _will _be violent and it will be very, very hot. Friction will break the Ark back into its original stations."

Beside Sinclair, Kane added solemnly, "Some of the stations—and we can't predict which—will explode. And some of us will be on those stations."

"Which brings us to stage three: landing," Sinclair continued. "All starboard thrusters on the surviving stations will fire. Acting as landing rockets, they will slow the impact even further. Now our target speed for impact with the ground is 70 miles per hour. In all my simulations, anything above that is not survivable."

A rush of murmurs occurred from the crowd, and hearing them, Jaha turned around to address his people.

"No one said that this will be easy, ladies and gentlemen." He looked around at them. "Just that if we don't try it...we all die."

"So, how close are we gonna land to the kids?" Abby asked once the silence had gone on for a few seconds after Jaha's statement. He nodded to her firmly.

"As close as we can."

No one really had any options; no one really had any objections to their plan, either. It was either choose the potential to live or an inexorable death. It didn't take long for the Ark to get in order, so soon after the conference they had where Sinclair explained what was to happen that everyone was set in their stations, buckled while sitting on the floor.

_"Hydra station good to go." _

_"Mecha station good to go." _

_"Factory station good to go." _

_"Arrow station good to go." _

_"Power station good to go." _

Chancellor Jaha listened as his name was called over the intercom in his station. _"Chancellor Jaha, all stations are prepared for launch." _

Jaha reached up and turned the microphone resting in his ear on. "In peace...may you leave this shore. In love...may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels. Until our final journey to the ground. May we meet again."

"May we meet again." It echoed all through the stations, everyone replying to Chancellor Jaha's wishes as they prepared for their final journey to the ground. In Mecha Station, Kane, Abby, Calix, and Sinclair all sat across from each other in the center of the station as Jaha's voice came over the intercom again.

_"Sinclair." _

"Yes, sir?"

_"Take us home." _

"Taking us home, Sir. Initiating Go-Sci separation in 5...4...3...2...1." He pressed a button on his controller and let out a heavy sigh. "Separate."

Everyone held their breath, waiting for their station to move. But after a few seconds when nothing happened, it was clear that there was something wrong.

"Sir, remote detonations failed...we are negative for Go-Sci separation; negative for launch..." Sinclair let out a frustrated sigh as he fidgeted with the controller in his hand.

_"Can you fix it?" _

"Not from here, Sir, no..." His eyes lifted up as he realized the painful truth. "Someone will have to launch manually."

Calix looked at Sinclair, alarmed. "Well, what are we supposed to do, then? Flip a coin? Heads I go, tails you do?"

"No." The response came from Kane, who unbuckled himself and started to move forward, his head bowed. Calix opened his mouth to protest, but Dr. Griffin did it for him by placing a hard hand on Kane's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

Kane nodded at her. "Someone has to stay behind, Abby."

She ignored him and looked at Sinclair. "There has to be another way."

"I can go back and reprogram the system, but it'll take time. We'll miss the window for the Eastern United States...we won't land anywhere near the 100."

"Then we'll wait till it comes back around again," she suggested. Sinclair shook his head at her.

"The Ark will be out of air by then."

Abby was silent, having no other options. Kane, seeing this, turned to her, grabbed her hand, and said softly, "Salvation...comes at a price."

Kane lifted himself off of the floor, his bandaged hand still locked with Abby's, as he looked to all the people that he would be saving. Right as he was about to walk forward, Calix unbuckled himself and stood up forcefully.

"Sit down," Kane told him quietly. Calix shook his head tightly.

"I won't let you do this. Your daughter is down there. What do you expect me to say to her?"

Kane paused. What _did _he want his daughter to know? Eighteen years and he had been nothing but a terrible father to her. He drove her to her hatred. He showed her how terrible a person could be that she had to go and draw a moral code for herself and live by it, swearing to not be like him. There were no words to be translated that could express his apologies.

So he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Once she sees you, she'll have everything she wanted. That's enough for me." Kane put a reassuring hand on Calix's shoulder. "Be happy, son."

Kane didn't give Calix a chance to respond. Instead, he moved along, touching the hands of all those with him in Mecha Station as he readied to brave it alone. Calix sat down reluctantly and listened to Abby as she asked Sinclair, "How much air will he have?"

Sinclair hesitated. "A week. Two weeks at most."

Just as Sinclair finished responding, there was a sudden crash and a change in momentum. Everyone moved as a result of the sudden movement, and Sinclair looked down at his remote curiously. His eyes widened.

"We're away!" he exclaimed. "We're away, we've launched!"

"What...how?" Abby demanded.

_"Godspeed, my friends." _Chancellor Jaha's voice rang out among the intercom. _"Godspeed." _

Tentatively, Abby reached up and touched the microphone on her ear. "Thelonious, where are you?"

Back in Earth Monitoring, Jaha responded while leaned over the power board in the station. He responded swiftly, "Right where I'm supposed to be. Hold on tight, Abby. You'll see your daughter soon." When he was sure he was the only thing left of the Ark, he took off his microphone and leaned back in the chair by the control board. Jaha looked up at the ceiling with a heavy-hearted sigh. "And I'll see my son."

* * *

It was night when they finally heard the war drums. Those inside the camp struggled to be nourished for the upcoming fight and maintained a very impressive amount of sanity; although fairly, their repressed fear was brought out the moment the war drums were in the distance. Bellamy, who'd been standing in the middle of their camp, heard a soft voice beside him.

"That doesn't exactly sound like one of those old Macy's Day Parades," Alessia mumbled under her breath as she approached Bellamy's side. He looked to her and she stared up at him with a sigh. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?" he countered. She shrugged.

"Fair enough. I'll let you know...after it's over." Bellamy nodded silently and watched as she turned on her heel to walk to the west woods where she was stationed, but before she could, Bellamy called her back.

"Hey, Robin Hood?" She turned around with an inquired look on her face as he studied her for a long moment and eventually told her, "Try not to get yourself killed."

She smiled. "I won't if you won't." He nodded, agreeing immediately. "Be careful, Messiah."

"Always am."

And they parted, each going in opposite directions. Alessia went to the west woods and joined Jasper, Harper, and Margot all wielding weapons against the Grounders. They could hear conversation on the radio, but when Alessia joined, Margot turned to her with a small smile.

"Well, well. Look who decided to join the action," Margot patronized. Alessia frowned.

"Why don't you try running the security in this camp? Then we'll talk." She turned her gun around and pointed it out of the west foxhole so that it aimed at the trees. It was a few seconds after she was set up when there were Grounders in view, and almost immediately, Harper began to fire off rounds. Margot, Jasper, and Alessia did as well, but there were too many of them. Jasper yelled into the radio, desperate for backup, but Alessia watched as a bunch of Grounders came into view at one of the mines that she and Raven had planted and she pulled the trigger, aimed at the dirt rather than the body. The mine blew up, blowing them to pieces.

In awe, Jasper shouted into the radio, "Raven, our mines actually worked!"

"_Nice _shot, Robin Hood!" Margot exclaimed. She shook her head tightly.

"Save the praise until after we've won this goddamn war. Now—"

_"Jasper," _Clarke's voice was urgent over the radio, _"we need you in the drop ship right now." _

_"Negative," _Bellamy rejected. _"We can't give up the west woods." _

_"The west woods are mined, Bellamy! The Grounders just figured that out. Jasper, get in here." _

"Go," Alessia demanded him, and reluctantly, Jasper swung his gun behind him and he climbed out of the west foxhole. Over the radio, Alessia spoke. "Don't worry, Clarke, he's on his way. Bellamy, I've got this."

"I see one!" Harper shouted. "There! There!"

She fired her gun time after time again over Alessia's screams of protests. "Don't! What did I tell you, Harper?! Remain. Calm. Goddamn it! How many rounds do you have left?"

Harper tried to fire her gun, but she came up empty. "Damn it. I'm all out."

Alessia let out a frustrated sigh, but just as she looked out into the woods and tried to piece things together, she realized. Her eyes widened and she hissed, "Son of a bitch!"

"What?" Margot pressed.

"Sneaky bastards. They're psyching us out so they can get in the gate." She gripped her radio and pressed the button to communicate. "All gunners, listen up! These Grounders are _not _attacking; repeat, they are _not _attacking. They're running laterally so we waste ammo! Do not fire your weapons unless you are sure a hundred percent sure that they are in target range! Does everyone get that?"

_"Kane's right," _Bellamy agreed. _"Do not fire until you're sure it's an attack. Repeat, do not fire until an attack!"  
_

"Didn't you just say that?" Margot scoffed. Alessia sighed.

"Doesn't matter. Harper, go back. We can't have you out here unarmed." Obliging reluctantly, Harper returned back to camp and left Margot and Alessia alone. Alessia turned to her brunette friend and gave her a fractured smile. "Just you and me now."

"Two best shots in this entire camp." Margot turned to the woods. "I think we'll be fine."

"Who classified you as one of the best shots in the entire camp?" Alessia protested. Margot scoffed.

"Well, it sure as hell isn't Bellamy," she returned pointedly. Alessia didn't have a chance to respond when they heard screaming over the radio. Immediately, Alessia brought the radio to her mouth.

"Blake? Blake, report!" Nothing but static. "Damn it!"

"Well, shit!" Margot exclaimed heatedly. Alessia's mind began to go in a dark place, but she decided not to think anything of it. He was probably fine, wherever he was. She had to trust that he could handle himself. Right as Margot opened her mouth, she and Alessia witnessed something even more awful. Grounders flooded them, some of them tripping mines and others escaping free. Alessia pulled the trigger to as many as she could, but it wasn't long before both she and Margot were out of them. They'd delayed long enough for Margot to breath out, "What the hell do we do now?"

"Now...we pull the hell back." She urged Margot back through the foxhole. "Move! Move! Move!"

When they emerged from the foxhole, both girls dropped their useless guns and listened as Miller shouted by the mound at the gate, "There are too many! Everybody to the drop ship now!"

"No!" Clarke shouted at the door of the ship. "We need more time."

"What's going on?" Alessia asked, jogging over to Clarke with Margot on her tail. Clarke shook her head.

"We need to stall. Jasper has to splice a wire before we can finish wiring the rockets."

Understanding, Alessia nodded and turned as she watched all the gunners slowly retract from their posts. She barked at them, "Hey! Clarke said she needs more time. Gunners, stay at your posts until I relieve you. Everyone who's unarmed, get inside! Now!"

"What happened to your gun?" Clarke asked as she stepped aside for everyone to get into the drop ship. Alessia sighed heavily.

"Ran out of ammo. Jones!" she called. Jones appeared beside her after leaving his post and she held out her hand. "Weapon. Now. Get inside of the drop ship."

"But—"

"I said _now_," Alessia pushed. Though reluctant, Jones obliged, giving her his gun and moving forward for the drop ship. But right as he took two steps, there was a sudden explosion in the sky, able to be heard from a hundred miles away. Everyone looked up and watched as a streak gleamed across the sky, a light blazing into the atmosphere. Alessia breathed out slowly, "Is that...?"

"That's the Ark," Clarke finished in shock. They all watched as explosions occurred in the sky, spewing large fireballs from the atmosphere, but there were other parts that they could see were heading right near their location.

"No way," Margot said in amazement. But just like that, the excitement was over once there were distinct sounds outside the gate. But they didn't sound like Grounders; no, it was something different. "Oh, my God, what the hell is that godforsaken noise?"

Alessia had no idea. She looked at Clarke for an answer, but only watched as Clarke stared off into the distance as if remembering those sounds. "Clarke?"

"Reapers," Clarke whispered under her breath. She turned back at Alessia. "They're Reapers."

"What the hell are—?" Margot began, but before she could ask, Clarke was running off into the distance to jump right into the arms of Finn. Alessia stared at them, but decided not to ask. Wasn't the appropriate time. When she turned back to Margot, she was waiting. "So what the hell are Reapers?"

"Enemy of my enemy is my friend," Alessia murmured under her breath before shaking her head. "Doesn't matter now. Clarke?" She saw Clarke going into the drop ship with Spacewalker walking fast, but at the call, Clarke turned, just so that she was walking backwards.

"Keep stalling! I'll come out when I'm ready!" Clarke demanded. Alessia nodded and obliged to buy Clarke more time. She turned to Margot and started to urge her towards the drop ship.

"Margot, get inside."

"No."

"Margot—"

"You see, there are these super rare occurrences when I actually don't mind doing something productive," Margot snapped. "And this is one of those times so—"

Right as she was about to make, what seemed like the beginning of a very good and noble speech, there was an arrow that launched over the gate and hit one of the gunsman standing at it. Both Margot and Alessia turned around and watched as the gate suddenly fell down, bearing them helpless against the enemy. Alessia suddenly didn't have time to argue with Margot.

"Use the goddamn grenades!" she shouted on the top of her lungs, and almost instantly, there was an explosion from a grenade. Alessia moved forward with the gun in her hand and when she saw a Grounder get close to her, she fired the gun...only, it didn't go off. She squeezed the trigger a few more times but there was nothing inside. "What is the point of a fucking gun if I can't use it?! Shit!"

She dodged the Grounder right after her, wielding a small weapon in his hand, but before Margot could duck out of the way behind her, he slashed down and cut her right across the chest. Alessia screamed and used the futile gun to knock the Grounder over the head, where at first, said Grounder was a little dizzy but was more pissed off than anything. She used the gun to block his knife and managed to force it back so that the knife went flying across the camp. But not only was his weapon gone, so was hers. He chucked it away and they were left to fight hand-to-hand combat, and she had to admit that it was tougher than it seemed. The Grounder in the woods was far less experienced than the one she was fighting now, but she pushed the pain in her leg and the doubt in her mind away and fought like her father taught her. Every move was calculated, every strike strategic. And soon enough, she had the Grounder's head between her knees and she kept his hands far enough away not to do any damage before she reached into her boot, grabbed the knife she'd hidden, and slashed down on the Grounder's throat. The Grounder bled to death, as did the Grounder in the woods before, and she stood at her feet to survey the damage.

Margot was lying beside the barricade in front of the drop ship, coughing up her own blood. There was a clear, deep wound that showed through the fabric of her shirt, but it was clear what little time she had left.

"No...no, no!" Alessia rushed forward and dragged Margot's body behind the barricade so that no one attacked her. Margot coughed up more blood, her eyes wide and frozen, barely hanging on. "Margot! Margot! You idiot, I told you to go inside the drop ship...I-I told you to..."

"T...This...blows," Margot choked out, the blood spilling down her chin. "B-But...at least..."

"Stop!" Alessia felt an angry tear roll down her cheek as she shook Margot when she saw her eyes start to close. "Stop! Don't you dare die on me! Not tonight! You annoyed the shit out of me and everyone else in this goddamn camp for twenty-nine days, you can go on a little longer!"

"B-But at least...at...least...this...is...a pretty..." Margot swallowed back the blood on her throat and Alessia could see her laugh, very slightly. "A...pretty badass w-way to...die."

"No!" Alessia screamed as she watched Margot inhale sharply and then exhale, closing her eyes. There was no more intake of breath, and Alessia shook her even harder. "Margot! Margot! No!"

"Alessia!" She heard from behind her. Miller was standing at the drop ship door, a gun in his hand as he fired off at the Grounders heading for them. "Get inside!"

With a hard swallow, Alessia was forced to leave Margot on the ground in front of the ship. She stood and watched the scene before her, so many of her people being slaughtered by the Grounders. And amongst them, she realized in absolute horror, were both Bellamy and Finn.

"Bellamy!" she cried out, but he was too far away from the drop ship. She moved to go help him, but felt a hand come around her arm and pull her back to the drop ship. A part of her knew she needed to get inside, so she didn't fight it, but once Clarke had her inside of the drop ship, she realized what it meant. "Clarke, Bellamy's out there!"

"I know," Clarke whispered quietly and looked up at Alessia.

"No..." Alessia backed away from her, facing Clarke and away from the audience they had. "No, we can't...we can't..."

"We have to," Clarke pressed, and Alessia knew it was the truth; the cold, hard truth. Clarke had tears in her eyes, and that's when she remembered seeing Finn out there too. Repeating in a soft voice, she whispered, "We...we have to..."

And with glistened eyes, Clarke reached out beside her and pulled the lever of the door so that it came to seal. Alessia closed her eyes, trying to shut out the pain that she could feel from knowing who was on the other side of that door and what was going to happen to them. Both Bellamy and Finn? Spacewalker and Messiah? How could—

Her eyes snapped open when there was a sudden sound of an attack nearing into their drop ship. Immediately following the sound, someone pushed aside the curtain of the drop ship and Clarke and Alessia backed away seeing Anya, as Raven called her the Grounder Princess, wielding two swords against her enemy.

Clarke turned her head sharply as the sounds of beating outside the drop ship took place. "Jasper, now!"

They all waited in anticipation as Jasper pressed the button he was supposed to that would cause a ring of fire around their ship. But there was no noise. Jasper fiddled with the controller in his hand, but it was useless. There was nothing. Clarke turned back to Anya.

"Anya, you can't win," she promised, though her breath shook. After a moment of hesitation, Anya growled and swung her swords at Clarke and Alessia and managed to cut Alessia's hand as she went up to block the attack. Miller knocked her in the head with his gun, but it was far from over. Hissing at the pain, Alessia looked up at the Grounder.

"Okay, Grounder bitch. You want to die? I'd be happy to do the honors." She spoke loudly to the people in the ship. "No one _touch _this bitch! She's mine!"

Anya made a war cry again and Alessia took one of the rods that were installed in the drop ship when they'd come down to block her attempt to swing down. The swords blocked, but this Grounder was tougher than the last. She'd never had much training in this sort of samurai combat, but nothing but blind rage consumed her. The Grounders might not have been the reason for Wells's death, but they were the reason for so many others; including Margot. And now they had Bellamy and Finn too? Like hell.

The rod she used was more effective than a sword. Though the blunt object wasn't sharp enough to cut, she hit Anya with all her strength and managed to get a few good hits out of it. She knocked both swords out of Anya's hands, despite the cut that was dripping blood all over the rusty pole, and angrily smacked Anya with the rod over and over again until her face was bleeding. She could hear Clarke's protests behind her and the cheers from the other delinquents, but she didn't care. Margot never deserved to die. Bellamy didn't deserve to die. Finn didn't deserve to die.

She finally had Anya pinned underneath her and the rod was pressed underneath Anya's chin, cutting off her air supply. Alessia's knees kept Anya's arms down and she pressed harder on the rod. For a moment, that line that she had drawn so thickly before was blurred.

And then she remembered. She remembered what made her Alessia Kane; she remembered what made her different than her father. What would Kane do? He would kill Anya without blinking. But she was _not _Marcus Kane.

Alessia released the pressure on Anya's throat, sparing her life from her final seconds. Clarke backed away seeing the resentment in Alessia's eyes and Alessia lifted herself off of Anya with an extra kick to make sure she stayed down. She tossed the rod to the side and looked up at Miller.

"Tie her up. Tightly. If I look at it and even _think _I could be able to get out of it, we're gonna have a problem."

With spite in her eyes, she turned back to Clarke, who was relieved to find that she had not crossed that line. Alessia nodded slowly, but there were protests from behind them from the 100. People shouted for Anya's death, and suddenly, one person snuck past Alessia with a knife strong in his hand, but Clarke stopped him.

"No!" she shouted at them. Everyone silenced. "We are _not _Grounders!"

Right as she said the last word, the drop ship trembled. They could hear screams around them, as well as an extremely painful heat envelop their space.

Jasper did it.

* * *

"This is Earth Monitoring Station. Earth Monitoring Station hailing all Ark survivors. Please come in," Jaha repeated into the microphone as he awaited a response from the ground. But over the line, there was nothing but static. "Earth Monitoring Station. Earth Monitoring Station hailing all Ark survivors. Please come in."

Suddenly, the static spiked, indicating activity. Jaha instantly jumped at it. "Hello? Is someone there? Keep talking so I can lock you in."

He moved the frequency slider so that he could get a clear reading, and after a moment, he could hear Abby Griffin's voice. _"...is on the ground. Repeat, Mecha Station is on the ground."_

Thelonious let out a relieved sigh. "Abby? It's so good to hear your voice!"

_"Yours, too. We made it, Thelonious. Any word from any of the other stations yet?"_

"No. Just you so far." He leaned forward. "Can you see any sign of them?"

_"Going outside now. Stand by." _

On the Ground, Abby did as she said and she left the mildly injured, yet still alive, passengers to fend for themselves for a moment while she went up and opened the door leading out of Mecha Station. She climbed out of the hatch, the sunlight instantly hitting her face as well as a cool breeze. She could feel the air on her skin, in her lungs. She could hardly believe it.

She could hear Jaha ask, _"Tell me what it's like." _

But Abby was speechless. How could she describe it? "It's...everything I dreamed! So much green. There are trees everywhere. And the water...and the air! The air...smells...it's _sweet_!" She smiled widely. "It's _so _beautiful! Thelonious, you should be here."

He didn't respond. She looked off into the beautiful distance, the setting sun, and barely noticed it as Kane exited the hatch as well beside her. He looked around and the breathtaking sight with so much amazement, absolutely stunned. Just like Abby, he could feel the hot un on his face and the cool air on his skin. He lifted his hand and blocked the blazing sun without a word, appreciating and not speaking. But in the middle of a clearing, he spotted a cloud of grey smoke and he pointed it out immediately.

"Look."

Abby turned and, noticing the abnormality, spoke to Jaha. "There's smoke in the distance. That might be another station. We'll check it out."

"Or it could be them." Kane turned around as Abby continued talking to Jaha. Calix exited the hatch as well, climbing out until he was at the top. Kane helped him get out and onto the metal station, where he, too, breathed in the real air with wonderment in his eyes. "It could be her, Kane."

"Relax." Marcus smiled softly. "You'll see her soon enough. And so will I."

Calix stared into Kane's eyes for a moment with an idiotic grin all across his lips. With a small scoff, he nodded and then looked around, taking in the spectacular sight of Earth. Both he and Kane stood observing the land, grateful to finally be back on Earth.

* * *

When the drop ship door opened, all Alessia saw was a bunch of grey. A nasty color of charcoal covered their sight as she and Clarke stepped off of the drop ship with the 100 following close behind. Their entire camp was covered in skeletons and grey mist, the trees burnt to their core. No skeleton was recognizable, and that made it all the worse. Alessia could see Bellamy's bloody face in her head and she just couldn't bare it. A part of her, a large part, knew that what she saw meant that he was dead. But as she stared at the bodies before her, she couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't dead after all. Maybe, somehow, someway, he managed to get out before the ring of fire could go off. After all, he and Finn knew it was coming. They had to have gotten away.

First Calix, then Marcus; she just couldn't bear it if Bellamy were gone, too.

In a flash, there was no more time to dwell about the bodies around them. Around them, red smoke spread across the camp from being launched into it by an outside, unknown force. Everyone started to cough, and briefly behind Alessia, she could hear the Grounder bitch mumble under her breath.

"Mountain Men."

The red smoke seemed to have some sort of sedative effect to it. Everyone dropped to their knees, coughing and coughing until they finally gave way and closed their eyes. She could see Clarke a few feet away from her from the heavy smog, just a bright speck of blonde, and she tried to fight whatever was making her eyes heavy for as long as she could. Alessia rolled over onto her back, looking straight up at the sky, and the last thing she saw before her eyes closed was the sight of a very bright green light in front of a man, an apparent 'Mountain Man' who clearly had a gun pointed right at her head just as she descended into darkness.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**Momsen-xxxx: **THANK YOU!

**Ain'tEasyBeingBreezy: **Thank you! I wish she was on the show too but then I wouldn't have anything to write about!

**WinchesterDixonBros: **It was a very sweet moment :) Believe it! I'm all done with Season 1 but I wanted to get that out of the way so basically I wrapped it all up in spring break and hopefully get started on Season 2 within the coming weeks. It definitely won't be done any time soon but I'm excited too!

**ambrosesdixon: **Alessia's too stubborn to let some man save her ;) But Bellamy didn't want her to die. Not one bit so he stalled for a little while, basically. Kane and Calix have finally returned! Calix is gonna find out within an episode of reuniting with Alessia that there's something going on between her and Bellamy; the tricky part is that he's not going to get it on his own, she's actually going to tell him and not be a wuss about it. Well...I don't think it'll be much like the Raven/Finn reunion mostly because in their situation where they reunite it'd be very unfortunate to be smiling and happy but it will still break Bellamy's heart...which is sad.

**Aiphira: **Thanks! Well, obviously she was captured like the rest of them so she'll be in Mount Weather for the first couple episodes of Season 2 but she will definitely get a bigger role. This next season is going to show how much of a leader she is, I just don't want to take anything away from Clarke because I actually like Clarke sometimes. But we saw a little in this episode how she's starting to really become a leader among them. Thanks for the review!

**BrittWitt16: **I have literally done nothing productive this week besides write fanfiction. Which is kind of the perfect week but I have to go back to school tomorrow and it sucks. Commander Alessia is fun, we saw that again in this chapter a little. That's a lot of crying though don't overdo yourself :)

**BrittWitt16: **Bellamy and Alessia are wonderfully worried about Octavia and that is the entire point, they are her parents and it's amazing. Bellamy wasn't in love with anyone (that we know of) and that's why the question kind of caught him off guard. Because she just assumed, you know, a 23-year-old has been in love if an 18-year-old can say she's been in it. Falling hard broski? I love it! I'm really sorry that Bellamy and Raven seemed to cause so much pain...that's not good. But look on the bright side, they've (sort of) repaired all that.

**BrittWitt16: **This is the finale now! Alessia and Jasper are going to have a lot more...broship(?) moments in the next season actually. I'm so excited for it! Alessia and Clarke hugged! Probably not the hug you wanted but it's still a hug! But you should still go find someone to hug. Probably need it after this finale because I need someone to hug. 1x13 makes me cry :(

**pureO: **They're always going to be stubborn, that's what makes Bellessia :) They do like each other very much and won't admit it but eventually they will. Eventually, though. Yeah Margot was meant to be a comedic relief but...well, now she's dead which isn't too good for her. Thanks! I mean, it was pretty effusive for Alessia, especially considering Bellamy kind of broke her heart by sleeping with Raven and he knew it, too. She's also not an emotional person (or tries not to be) so with that in combination of everything else she was as emotional as she could be. But she'll be more emotional later as she learns and develops!

**Iwannabelikeme: **When all else fails, just go to my profile! I have a list of original characters for my stories on there and the main ones are always on the covers. FF is annoying because they make the quality of the picture terrible once I upload it but whatever, it's not really that big of a deal. She is really beautiful which is why I chose her! Tough and pretty, a lethal combination. Yeah, they're definitely hot headed and that probably won't ever change just because they're so similar. I mean, Alessia was heartbroken, so it kind of makes sense that she'd be so distant and stubborn when it comes to Bellamy considering the circumstances, but you're entirely right; he did what he did for _her _which she realized eventually. Was this chapter intense enough? I hope so. Season 2 is coming up in a bit...though not as fast as these last updates. I probably won't be able to finish it for a while pending all my homework assignments and such. Thanks, it really makes her happy so I figured everyone could benefit from it too :)


	14. The 48

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**The 48**

She hadn't a clue how long she'd been sitting in the goddamn blinding white room she had woken up to since getting taken at the camp. It could've been days, it could've been hours, but she had no way to tell when or where she was. For God knows how long, she'd been banging at the door, kicking at it, punching it, bumping it...anything she could think of to get out of it. Eventually, she ended up sliding against the door and waiting for something to happen, staring at the white walls, the white floor, the white clothing she'd been fitted in. Honestly, it was getting annoying. It wasn't long before she was completely bored, left alone with her own morbidly curious thoughts, and so she began to pace, biting down on her nail to keep from punching a wall. There was a camera positioned right above the door to see into her room, but she just kept her head down and paid no mind to it. Whoever was on the other side could keep watching for all she cared.

Her pacing increased until she was practically power-walking in the middle of the white room. It was only when she heard the sound of the door unlocking a few feet away from her when she purposely sprinted over to the bed where she had earlier been hooked to an IV and grabbed the rod in which the saline was positioned on. She chucked the bag and picked the rod up as quickly as she could, pointing it to whoever her enemy was walking through the door.

"Alessia Kane, you have been cleared from quarantine," someone, either a man or a woman, approached her in a blue body suit as if she were some kind of infected animal. Two of the same people behind that first person came up and started to struggle with Alessia to get her to release the rod. She screamed out protests at them, but they restrained her as she kicked and yelled. Over her own screams, she could hear the first blue person say flatly, "Sedate her, she's clearly overwhelmed."

"The hell you will!" She snatched her arm out of one of her restrainer's grasp and tightly brought her elbow back in a snap right into the throat of the hazmat suit. The outburst leveraged her to pivot herself and duck out of the way of a needle heading right for her neck, and from there she used her foot to kick in the other's knee, catching the needle in her grasp. The third one, the one who had spoken first to her, began to realize the situation and braced to restrain her. Instead, Alessia used the needle that she'd caught and went right for the neck, where she didn't care how she set it in, but she stabbed and plunged before running right out of the room. But she had no idea where she was, so she just picked a way and she went for it. There were multiple white rooms, she realized, each with a circular window to look inside. Alessia ran as fast as she could, hearing noises behind her confirming that there were people after her. At last, she came to a stop in an open hallway, to her right being elevators.

_Elevators? _she thought to herself in disbelief. There was a door beside the elevator, but when she went to open it, she found that it was locked. _Of course. _

Her only choice was the elevator. She tried to press the button, but there was a scanner beside it that was blaring red as there was no response from the elevator. She pushed the button over and over again, cursing to herself when there was clearly no response. She turned and turned but the men behind her were gaining; she could hear their voices down the hall. Right as she began to panic, the doors of the elevator slowly opened and she moved to hurry inside.

Instead, there was someone inside of the elevator, calmly stepping out of the elevator; that was, until he saw Alessia, the breathless girl in a white quarantine uniform. She was ready to fight, but when she swung at the young man who had stepped out, he twisted her hand so it was behind her back and spun her over the wall beside the elevator just as the two men in hazmat suits she'd left conscious came after her. With groans of both defeat and pain, Alessia struggled to get out of the brunette-haired man's grasp, but she was sure he'd broken her wrist. Ignoring her painful breaths, the man looked at those in the hazmat suits.

"Tell me she's been cleared," he growled, sounding as if he was afraid of his own life for some strange reason. Alessia didn't have time to think of why, she just struggled against his grasp.

One of the men answered, "Just now."

Alessia finally gave up struggling. It hurt too much and there was no way she'd be able to get out of whatever hold he'd put her in. She could hear his sharp breaths behind her and was even more confused when she'd heard a man she'd never seen in her life sigh out, "So you must be Alessia Kane."

She didn't answer. How could she? With her cheek pressed up against the cold concrete of the wall and her mouth wanting to scream out in pain from the way her wrist was bent, she didn't want to breathe, let alone speak. Honestly, she didn't even care when she heard the man behind her tell the people in the blue suits to sedate her, and once he'd released her out of his grasp, she was too outnumbered to stop the needle from impaling her neck.

* * *

When she woke again, she was back in the white room she had been in before, which only made her more pissed off. The white color was giving her a headache and she felt like she looked the equivalent to a floating head wearing the clothes that blinded her with so much light and matched the color of the walls. Except, when she was able to get herself to a sitting position in the bed, she realized that there was a new addition to her wrist: a cast. Just as she studied the plaster healing her broken bone, the door to her room opened and she jumped straight out of bed, ready to fight whoever walked in. The same man she had a run-in with at the elevator stepped inside, alone, and when he turned at her, he gave an exhausted sigh seeing her tense stance.

"Really?" He frowned. "You're gonna try and fight again? With a broken wrist this time? We both know how that's gonna go over. You might as well relax, Alessia."

"Don't talk to me like you know me!" she snapped, unexpected to him but expected to her. She was on the verge of breaking, having woken up in a strange white room that was pissing her off and being sedated by strange men in hazmat suits. The brown-haired man stared, waiting for her to finish as she swallowed and relaxed. "I don't know who you are. I've never seen you before in my life so there's no way you could possibly know my name."

"But I do," he countered with a simple shrug. She waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn't, she squared her jaw tightly realizing that he was being difficult.

"All right, then. You know my name, I don't know yours."

"Cage," he introduced himself, stepping forward. "Cage Wallace. I'm Head of Security here in Mount Weather. My father thought it would be a good idea for me to give you the whole 'welcome' speech. Your people say you're their leader."

Her reaction was delayed, but nevertheless amusing. She began to laugh, and though Cage was confused, he couldn't help a small, bewildered smile. Once she was done laughing, she pointed at him accusingly.

"Okay. Okay, now I know for sure that you're lying." Her face turned serious on a dime. "These supposed 'people' you speak of...they hate me. Well, they hate my father...so, naturally, they hate me."

He pursed his lips. "You are...Alessia Kane, right?"

"Yeah, I am, but—"

"And you ran security back at the camp you built back at your drop ship?" Alessia tensed again, confounded. Cage smiled sourly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but...along with two others, your people named you as their leader. Guess they don't hate you as much as you think." He paused and looked her up and down, causing her to look at him with incredulous eyes and shift angrily. "Though I can't imagine why they'd hate such a pretty girl like you."

"Back the hell off," she demanded through her teeth. "Even with a broken wrist I'll break your jaw. You caught me off guard back there, that's all. I don't know where the hell I am."

"I just told you," he stated blandly. "You're in Mount Weather. I'm supposed to give you a 'welcome' speech...is this ringing a bell at all?"

"I want out of here." Alessia ignored him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I have things to do, people to find. Actual _colors _to wear, okay? Being in this room is giving me a headache so...if you don't mind showing me the exit—"

"Now it's my turn to laugh." Cage chuckled to himself, cutting her off mid-sentence. Alessia looked at him, not surprised that her tactic didn't work but surprised that he was so light-hearted about it as he stepped forward with a sick smile. "I mean...you want me to just...show you the exit, huh? Hey, how about I show you where all the guns are, too? Or how about the sedatives so you can knock out some other people in this mountain before you go? Would that work for you or—?"

"That's enough, son." Cage and Alessia looked behind at the door where someone let an grey-haired, clean, shaven old man through the threshold and left the door open a crack to wait for Cage to exit. The old man looked at his son, presumably. "I'll take it from here."

"Shame," Cage muttered under his breath as he threw a glance at Alessia with a sick smile. "And I was just starting to get to know her—"

"Out," the old man pushed. With a scowl on his lips, the younger Wallace slipped through the door and it closed behind them, sealing Alessia and Dante inside. Alessia was getting impatient and more confused by the moment, only fueling her anger. At last, the old man turned to her with a kind smile and extended a hand. She stared at it, but didn't reach forward. "Dante Wallace. I'm sorry about my son's behavior, I was only trying to make you feel more comfortable here."

"Comfortable?" Alessia scoffed in disbelief. Dante dropped his hand and shrugged slightly.

"Yes, I thought the...relation of positions you both hold with your people would give you some common ground. But I can see by the cast that I was wrong." Dante's eyes flickered to the plaster on Alessia's wrist and she shifted uncomfortably. "Though you did attack three of our people today."

"They were trying to sedate me," Alessia defended herself. The old man nodded.

"Yes, I apologize for that, too." He looked around the white room. "This room must be extremely difficult to be in for such a long time. Please," Dante began as he turned around and knocked on the door so whoever was in front of it could open from the other side. Once the door was opened, Dante beckoned something inside and in came a large chest rolling on wheels. Alessia swallowed, overwhelmed, as he turned back to her. "Wear anything you'd like. When you've changed, the men outside will take you upstairs to your friends."

"My friends?" She stared at him blankly. "How many of us do you have imprisoned here?"

"48, including you and your co-leader, Clarke Griffin; but she hasn't been cleared from quarantine yet so it'll be a while before you get to see her." What the hell were they quarantining? Why? The radiation wasn't harmful and, as far as she was aware, the sickness the Grounders infected them with had long since passed. "But you've got it all wrong, you're not a prisoner here."

_That's a lie, _Alessia thought bitterly, but she didn't dare say it aloud. They were just letting her out and if she kept fighting them, they would keep sedating her. The best thing to do was pretend like she agreed. Her fist clenched and unclenched a few times out of nervous habit, and at last, she let out a heavy sigh.

"Get Clarke cleared next," Alessia demanded.

Dante hesitated. "Well, Clarke—"

"Get Clarke cleared next," she repeated sternly, a cold look in her eye. Dante and Alessia stared each other down for a long while until Dante finally gave her a kind smile and nodded.

"All right, then, I'll see what I can do." He turned for the door, which opened on his way out, but before he left completely, he turned back at her still settled with a smile. "Welcome to Mount Weather, Alessia."

With that done, he left the room to herself, the chest right in front of her waiting to be touched. Hesitantly, she walked forward and pushed it open, revealing a dozen outfits, jewelry, and shoes at her disposal. She tried to think as strategic as she could while she picked out what she was going to wear, making sure that it was clothing comfortable enough to escape in yet useful enough to use against her enemies. As her brain turned, she grabbed a pair of denim jeans, a black shirt, and reached for the pair of sneakers in the box. Instead, her eyes drifted towards the black heels standing at least three inches from the ground, and she thought back to her thirteenth birthday where Dr. Griffin had given her a pair of old, ratty heels in secret. Kane had found them, and when he did, rather than getting angry over the birthday present, he set Alessia to work. He trained her to fight in the most uncomfortable, impractical clothing and footwear ever made so that, if she ever came to an opportunity like the one she was in, she could use those uncomfortable, impractical choices to her advantage.

She grabbed the heels from the box and slammed it shut, turning back around to the bed where she'd set everything out so that she could get changed. Just as she started to pull her shirt over her head to switch clothing, she eyed the camera staring at her from above the door. Releasing the hem of her shirt, she walked back over to the chest, opened it, and grabbed an old, dusty shoe from the back of the chest that looked like it would do some damage. Without blinking, she chucked it at the security camera with her good hand and it was knocked off of its mount, hanging by its disconnected wire above the quarantine room's door.

After she'd changed and was released from the white room in clothes that had not a stitch of white fabric on them, Alessia was escorted to the elevators by the men who'd stripped their blue hazmat suits to take her to another level in the mountain she was imprisoned in. They rode in an uncomfortable silence and she was far from relaxed around the presence of strangers surrounding her every corner, but she remained focused on finding the rest of the delinquents being held captive as well. The men had taken her to Level 5, where she stepped out into a very intricately decorated floor with flags hanging above dozens of tables and people floating in and out setting placements on the wooden fixtures. Actual silverware and napkins lined the tables, contrary to all the things they had been forced to adjust to on the ground. To the left of the tables, there was a group of all the delinquents chatting amongst themselves, all dressed in clothing as nice and fixed as hers was. It looked roughly around 48, the number that Dante had given her, more or less. The moment she stepped into view, the first two people standing next to her happened to light up with joy at her sight.

"Alessia!" Jasper exclaimed as he took Alessia by surprise and tackled her with a hug the moment she'd rounded the corner. She stumbled back, surprised at the force of Jasper's hug as he squeezed her with all his strength. She tried to hug back, but she wasn't in a very 'hugging' mood. As Jasper kept a lock on her, Monty did the same and swung his arms around her neck and hugging her, too. She stood still, uncomfortably sandwiched between the two teenagers just as all the other juveniles a few feet away from them buzzed with excitement at Alessia's arrival. Finally, Jasper and Monty pulled back.

Monty breathed out a sigh of relief. "I thought they'd never release you. Jasper and I had a bet going on whether or not you'd try to beat someone up to escape."

Alessia held up her wrist proudly. "Which one of you bet against it? Because you lost." She examined her hand. "At least the asshole doubled up on my injuries. They patched up the one I got from Anya back on the drop ship. My entire left hand is out of commission."

Jasper and Monty both smiled for a moment at her before Monty looked behind her, expecting to see someone else. "Where's Clarke?"

"I told them to release her next," Alessia told him firmly; though her next words were sarcastic and bitter. "If she doesn't come out within the hour, I'm filing a _complaint_."

Monty chuckled, and as he did, Miller and Harper approached Alessia's side and greeted her, to which she gave them a polite smile and greeted them back. Everyone eventually made their way over to speak to her, and she felt entirely overwhelmed. The people around her named her as one of their leaders. Why? What had she done that was in any comparison to Clarke or Bellamy? She didn't run their camp, no matter how much she argued with Bellamy over how to do exactly that. Cage's words kept coming back into her head and, for a moment, she sort of believed that not all of them hated her as much as she thought. But remembering what had happened on the ground, a question came across Alessia's mind so fast, she looked around and finally settled her eyes on Monty and Jasper again.

"Hey...where's Octavia?" she asked them. Jasper and Monty were both silent, and so, taking the hint, she moved on, "Finn? Raven?" No response. Her last question came softer. "Bellamy?"

Beside her, Miller answered with a strained voice, "Alessia...uhm...none of them are...here. I saw Bellamy and Finn just before the drop ship closed—"

"Don't say it, Miller," Alessia cut him off as she saw Miller's eyes drop to the floor in distress. Alessia looked around at all of the juveniles around her and said sternly, "We don't know what happened to them. We can't jump to conclusions, not now. Right now, all that matters is that we're alive. And they are, too." Alessia licked her dry lips and took in a deep breath, repeating softly as if trying to convince herself, "They are, too."

She could try and convince herself of it all she wanted, but the painful fact was that she'd seen both Bellamy and Finn outside that drop ship before they blasted the bombs. There were a million 'what-ifs' going through her head, but Alessia pushed it to the darkest corner of her mind; the corner that she had shoved her father in when she found out he was dead. Her focus couldn't be on mourning the deaths of Finn and Bellamy, whether or not they were actually dead. Her focus had to be entirely on the fact that they were trapped inside of a mountain with people they didn't know that had captured them from their camp, claiming not to be bad guys when there was a great possibility that they were exactly that.

* * *

"Listen, Bucko," Alessia snapped at the guard who was standing behind the group of delinquents invested in a tourist talk of Mt. Weather that one of the kind citizens were providing. The guard Alessia was conversing with stared on as if she were nonexistent, but she persistently pushed, nonetheless. "I was told that my friend, Clarke Griffin, would be released from quarantine next. It's been over an hour and they've released three other people. Tell me where the hell she is!" He didn't speak, which only made her angry. "What are you? Some kind of mute?! Talk to me, damn it! I want to know what's—"

"Clarke!"

Someone had suddenly exclaimed the word, cutting off whoever was giving them their welcome orientation, and Alessia whipped her head around to see Monty rushing out of the crowd to run into Clarke's arms as she approached everyone from the back. Alessia turned to the guard beside her and cleared her throat.

"Never mind. Though you have been no help at all." With a scowl, she walked over to Monty, Jasper, and Clarke as she could hear the tone go somber. Alessia pushed her way through the ring around Clarke and let out a sigh upon seeing the blonde, who looked like she'd been through hell. Clarke's eyes settled upon her and both of them let out a relieved breath, where Clarke cracked a small smile. Alessia forced it upon herself to let a happy emotion seep through seeing that Clarke was okay, and she stepped forward and hugged Clarke willingly. "I've been trying to get them to release you ever since I got out."

Clarke cleared her throat awkwardly as Alessia pulled away. "Yeah, I kind of tried to escape."

Alessia scoffed. "Join the club."

"Welcome, Clarke." From the crowd, the honey-haired Mt. Weather spokesperson stepped forward with a package in her hand extended towards Clarke with a smile. "If you have any questions, I'm Keenan."

Clarke said nothing as Keenan backed away and left the delinquents to fraternize with their leader. Alessia stared after the Mt. Weather cheerleader with disgust and turned back at Clarke, looking as she opened the booklet Keenan had given her and looked over a map. Clarke's face showed obvious discomfort and distrust, to which Alessia detected and muttered lowly.

"Yeah. You don't trust them, either, do you?" Alessia muttered under her breath. Clarke looked up at her with agreeing eyes, needing not to nod to confirm what Alessia already suspected. The crowd around Clarke lasted for a while, the delinquents turning to the disoriented Clarke for guidance until, at last, they all dispersed when there was mention of food from the Mt. Weather people. Both Alessia and Clarke were the only two to hang back, their suspicions mounted so high that it had grown to distrusting the meals that were served. Clarke and Alessia both looked at each other with meaningful stares and with a jerk of her head, Clarke walked forward with Alessia to make it look like they were conversing with each other casually.

"I don't trust them," Clarke confirmed at last in a low tone. Alessia frowned.

"And you think I do?"

"I know you don't." Clarke sighed and crossed her arms. "We have to get out of here. We have to find our friends."

"Clarke." Alessia stopped them in the corner of the crowded dining room in which all the delinquents were eating tons of rich food provided by untrustworthy people. Clarke looked around nervously, but Alessia was sure they weren't suspected any more than they already were. She grabbed Clarke's arm reassuringly. "Trust me, I get it. But we're prisoners in here, okay? No matter how much that old guy smiles, he's lying. They took us from our camp and locked us in white rooms for God knows how long and won't let us leave. It's the very _definition _of a prisoner but...we both tried to escape today. There are going to be eyes all over us."

"We need access to the elevators so we can find an exit route," the blonde theorized, thinking aloud. Just as she said the last words of her spoken thought, a few people native to Mt. Weather walked by in mid-conversation, but both Alessia and Clarke stiffened and froze. Once they were gone, Alessia let out a breath she was unaware she'd been holding in.

"I have no doubt we look like we're plotting something completely diabolical. Come on." She pushed Clarke in the direction towards the tables, and both Alessia and Clarke slowly made their way over to Jasper and Monty, who were childishly arguing over chocolate cake, catching the attention of everyone in the room. As Clarke approached them, Jasper flinched back seeing her in the corner of his eye and let out a light laugh.

"Oh! Hey, Clarke!"

"Sit down and pretend you're happy to see me," the leader demanded as she pulled up a chair next to Jasper's side. Alessia pulled a chair up next to Monty, who smiled at her with his mouth full of chocolate cake. He looked back and forth between Alessia and Clarke in disbelief.

"We are happy to see you. Both of you," Monty countered and looked at Alessia, extending the chocolate cake in his hand. His eyes flickered between Clarke and Alessia. "You two have to try...the chocolate cake."

He said the words with a deep voice, his eyes passing past Jasper for a moment with a sick smile on his face. Jasper nearly gasped, "Oh, it is _so _on."

"We're not eating their food," Clarke snapped, ruining the light-hearted tone. Alessia eyed the chocolate cake and could feel her stomach growl for it, begging to devour the chocolatey goodness as it looked so delectable sitting in front of her. Without knowing it, she licked her lips greedily, but blinked a few times and shook off the hungry feeling.

"Right." She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Right. We're on a hunger strike. I don't trust this place."

"Look," Clarke pushed to the two teenage boys sitting with them. She pulled out her notebook that Keenan had given her and pointed to the map on the first page. "They gave us a map with no exits. I need you to tell me everything you've seen. Every room, every hallway, every way out."

Alessia looked back and forth between Jasper and Monty, an unsettling feeling overcoming her stomach at their faces. "Why are you two hiding sheepishly? Why? Please don't tell me you trust these people! The President's son broke my _wrist_ for crying out loud!"

"Look around you," Jasper began lowly with a scoff. "There's no one...hunting us here. First time in our lives we're not hungry...w-why would we want to leave?"

"Because we have friends out there who need our help," said Clarke.

"They're looking for survivors. And they're way better equipped to find them than we are," Monty added. Clarke looked around with a shake of her head in utter disbelief, her voice frustratedly strained and her jaw squared tightly.

"This place is too good to be true."

"Forget whether or not we have people on the outside who need our help." Alessia waved her hand dismissively and looked at Monty and Jasper with a serious look. "It doesn't matter whether we _want _to leave, it's a matter of whether we _can. _The fact that the second I try to escape the quarantine room, they sedated me means that there's something deeply wrong with this place."

"That's because you attacked three people!" Jasper exclaimed, a little louder than Clarke and Alessia would've liked. A few people around them looked, but Alessia just stared at Jasper and watched as he calmed down for a moment and sighed heavily. "You know what...you two are...are bumming me out. I-I'm gonna get more cake."

He laughed, as if the entire thing was just a joke to him, but Clarke turned around and watched Jasper as he left the table to get the cake that Monty wouldn't share. Alessia looked after Jasper with narrowed eyes, finding his outburst to be rude and uncalled for. Throwing her hand up in the air, she looked at Monty.

"What the hell is his problem?" she demanded. Monty sighed and picked at his chocolate cake.

"Don't take anything Jasper says right now personally. He's going through a rough time." Shoveling a piece of cake in his mouth, Monty paid no attention as Alessia awaited a further explanation. Clarke was too busy watching Jasper and his new friend, Maya, who was a medical assistant in Mt. Weather. Clarke knew this because...well, she attacked Maya to escape, and suddenly, there was an idea forming through her head. Once Monty caught onto Alessia's prompting look, he swallowed down the moist cake and finished softly, "Margot hasn't been released from quarantine yet and Jasper's getting worried. He says he doesn't remember if she was on the drop ship or not when the bombs went off."

A dark pit settled in Alessia's stomach as she looked after Jasper sitting with the brunette by the dessert rack. _Margot. _How would she tell him? If this was how he reacted without knowing her fate or not, what would it be like when he found out the truth—the truth that Margot had died inches away from the drop ship in Alessia's arms seconds before the door closed? It was a darkening thought, one that Alessia wanted to worry about, but couldn't. She watched as Clarke turned around at her with a very strange _look _in her eye as she stood from the table and moved towards where Jasper was. Alessia, with a heavy sigh, delayed following for a few moments and was too confused to get involved. She waited in the wings, watching as Clarke went over to Jasper and the brunette girl, talked with them for a moment, and walked back over to her.

When Clarke was a few feet away from Alessia, she visibly slipped a red card into her pocket that did not go unnoticed by Robin Hood. As Clarke moved past her and Alessia turned to walk with her away from the table where Jasper and Maya were sitting, Alessia mumbled, "Maybe they should start calling you Bond. Clarke Bond."

Clarke held back a laugh. "That would be funny if we didn't have...thirty seconds before she figures out this key is gone."

"Right." Alessia nodded stiffly and the two of them power-walked away from the crowd of Mt. Weather residents and the rest of the delinquents. The two knew they would have to go back for them; there was no way that they would be able to get all of them out at once. What was safest was for them to get out, find their people, and figure out a way back to save the rest of them. That was their best plan.

About two minutes after they'd escaped the clutches of the Level 5 dining hall, suddenly, an alarm started to blare and a yellow light flashed from netted hazard lights on the ceiling with an automated voice overhead announcing, "_Alert! Code 5."  
_

"Not a prisoner, huh?" Clarke muttered. Alessia threw her hands up at the alarm.

"_This _is what I'm talking about!"

Clarke grabbed her arm tightly. "Come on! We have to go!"

The two of them ran down the empty halls, Clarke's sneakers touching softly on the concrete and Alessia's heels clicking at an unavoidably loud volume. She hit the heel as soft as she could, having been trained in running with weapon-like shoes like previously mentioned, but it wasn't enough to be a silent click. Regardless, the guards found them, pulling both Clarke and Alessia to the stop in the middle of the hallway, looking left and seeing guards then looking right and seeing more. With no other option to exit through the level, they ran the only way they could—forward. As fast as the two of them could go, they ran to a door at the opposite end of the hallway reading a warning sign that prevented access to those who didn't clear for the restriction. Luckily, Maya's key card was able to pass them through the door, and once on the other side, Clarke and Alessia both pulled it shut, where Alessia ripped off her shoe and yanked the cord on the door so hard that the power line cut off. Clarke looked to her left and to her right to two staircases that led up and down as Alessia slipped her shoe back on, but the power cord cut would only keep those on the other side out for so long.

The incline was tremendously high as they climbed and climbed, following the evacuation route that was labeled on the wall. After the steep staircase, they managed to come to a deserted hallway with a door standing a few yards away that was surely able to lead them to the ground. Clarke rushed forward first, trying to pull on the lever beside the door to open it, but she realized very quickly that she couldn't pull it down. She tried and tried, wasting her strength, but Alessia had come up to the circular door and, without hesitation, she twisted the wheel on the door twice so that it came to a creaking noise. She looked over at Clarke.

"Try it now!" Alessia commanded over the blaring noise. With a nod, Clarke reached forward to pull the lever down, but just as she tried, there was a voice behind them.

"Clarke, no!" Jasper stood behind Clarke and Alessia with his hand outstretched. Maya had been standing beside him, but she rushed over somewhere else as Jasper pushed, "If you pull that lever, these people will die! Even a little radiation can kill them."

Alessia could see the waver in Clarke's features; the compassionate Clarke was too distracted to process the situation fully. Alessia turned at Jasper with a sharp look. "These people kidnapped us! We deserve the right to leave!"

So she stepped forward and put her hand on the lever next to Clarke's, attempting to pull it down, but before she could, she watched as the brunette-haired girl Jasper had been with before came out, wielding a gun pointed right at her. Maya swallowed thickly.

"Don't make me shoot you."

Alessia turned around at her. "I'm sorry...what?"

The petite girl stood with the gun in her hand, but it was clear that she was afraid to use it. Alessia could tell a weak spot when there was one, so she went for it. As the girl stepped forward with the barrel in Alessia's face, she swung her leg out and knocked the gun out of her hand so fast, spinning around and grabbing one of her shoes in her hand with the heel point right at Maya's throat. Maya trembled in her arms, her eyes closed with small tears pricking from the sides. Alessia looked at Clarke, who was nearly terrified.

"Do it," Alessia told her softly. But Clarke had already started contemplating her actions, and Jasper stepped forward from beside Alessia, stepping between Clarke and Maya to look at Alessia holding the Mt. Weather resident captive.

In a soft tone, he began, "Don't do this. This isn't you, Alessia."

"No!" She shouted at him, her throat tough from the moral compass inside of her ticking away. Alessia gulped down the guilt. "That's where you're wrong. This is who I am. This is who I have to be if these _liars _think that they can keep us in here forever!"

"Why would they lie?" Jasper pushed calmly, trying to reason with her. "Listen to me, we're _safe _here. Because of you and Clarke, we're safe."

"No, we're not," she countered at him quietly. "We're not...we're not _all _safe, Jasper."

But then she saw it; she could see this look in Jasper's eyes, the tears that spilled from them as he looked at her with something much bigger than empathy. His breath shook as he collected himself, stopping the tears from spilling out of his adolescent eyes, and choked out, "I...I keep...I keep replaying those minutes we were in the drop ship. I keep...I keep thinking that the more I look back through them that I'll see her." A silenced passed between Jasper and Alessia as he could see Alessia dropped her eyes. He knew he was right. "But she wasn't there, was she? Margot wasn't in that drop ship when I fired the bombs."

Alessia swallowed thickly, fighting back the tears in her own eyes thinking about Margot's painful death. In a quiet voice, she confirmed. "No, Jasper. She...she died in my arms. Before the blast."

And Jasper's breath trembled as he processed the information. A moment or two again was let by, and when things were absolutely silent for as long as they could be, Jasper brought himself together and spoke again, this time more firm, yet the heartbreak still evident in his voice.

"I was the one who fired the rockets. Should I not have done that?" he asked, his breath shaking. She didn't answer him. Jasper turned around at Clarke, his hands shaking as much as his breath was. "Clarke, when you pulled that lever, you saved lives. Don't throw that away by pulling this one."

Clarke had tears in her eyes, forming at the corners and threatening to flow out as she lowered her hand from the lever and backed away, realizing it was the wrong thing to do. Alessia stood, the heel of her shoe still pointed at Maya's throat, but Maya had become somewhat of a prop in her arms, useless to her. Nonetheless, she kept Maya locked, no matter how hard the brunette struggled. When Clarke had turned her eyes away, Jasper looked at Alessia with a nod.

"You didn't kill Anya back in the drop ship," he reminded her. "Because that isn't who you _are, _no matter what happens."

It was something she forgot very briefly, that moment on the drop ship where she decided not to kill Anya because she didn't want to lose herself. So many things had happened between that time and when she'd threatened Maya, it was hard to believe she hadn't completely crossed the boundary that she intended never to cross to begin with. But realizing that Jasper was right, Alessia lowered the hell at Maya's neck and slipped it back onto her foot, releasing Maya into Jasper's custody just as the guards emerged and ran after Clarke and Alessia, who were stationary. The minute they reached them, they were harsh and vile, causing Alessia to flinch away from them and whisper threats for them to back off for a few moments, but she had no choice but to oblige when they put handcuffs on her wrist forcefully, as she did one of the things she'd never done in her entire life: turn herself in.

* * *

Bellamy and Finn, both bound and restricted, watched in absolute shock as Tristan, the Grounder that had managed to gain the upper hand on both of them at the end of the day, dropped to the ground after two clean bullets to the brain from behind him. Monroe and Sterling, who had managed to survive the drop ship blast because they escaped at the last second to see what happened with the Ark falling form the sky, had tried to save Bellamy and Finn, but it wasn't them who had done the rescuing. All of them had crouched down hearing the gunshots, frightened for their own lives, but when Bellamy and Finn looked up from the butt of the horse in front of them that Tristan had been pulling them along with, it was people in front of them who had saved their lives; and Monroe and Sterling had come from behind them.

And then, as if the day couldn't get any more possibly get any more confusing, Marcus Kane stepped out of the bushes with his gun hot, releasing the two empty shells that had been fired at the Grounder attacking the delinquents. Behind him, a few men with guns followed, their weapons cocked as well.

"We're here now," Kane assured them. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Bellamy and Finn looked at each other, their eyes the size of the moon realizing what they were seeing: Robin Hood's not-so-dead father.

Kane stepped forward without another word and examined the corpse on the ground to make sure that the vicious Grounder had been killed through and through. Bellamy and Finn were able to untie their bound hands and Kane allowed the rest of the people who had followed them from Mecha Station to come out into view. Bellamy stumbled, his face covered in blood from the brutal violence he'd experienced, and it wasn't long before Abby Griffin approached him and Finn, without knowing who they were, of course.

"For God's sake..." she hissed.

"I'm fine," Bellamy mumbled distractedly. "I need to get back to the drop ship."

Finn moved to go with him, but instead, Abby pulled them back and asked coarsely, "Hey! Where's Clarke? Is she all right?"

"She was when we left," Finn replied. "We'll take you to her."

"Wait! Slow down. It's dangerous, there could be more Grounders." Kane stopped them as he saw Finn start to walk in the direction towards the drop ship where they had came from. Finn sighed at him, exhausted.

"Alessia's there, too." It was all Finn needed to say to get Kane to change his mind in a snap instant. He turned around, though somewhat reluctantly, and eventually called Sinclair over to him.

"Sinclair! We're splitting up. Everyone on Guard detail goes with me to the drop ship. Everyone else goes with you to Alpha Station. We have the coordinates; we'll follow as soon as we can."

"Yes, sir." Sinclair nodded and moved away, but Kane reached out and pulled him back softly. Sinclair returned obediently as Kane muttered, "Anything more from Jaha?"

Sinclair shook his head solemnly. "No. Nothing in the past hour."

Kane didn't respond. He let Sinclair go to lead the people back to Alpha Station, and when he turned around to the men who had been following him, among them Calix Mercer, he commanded them immediately, where they set out to the drop ship. When they returned to the place the 100 had set up camp, they were all crouched down, silent and as stealthy as they could be. Observing the lack of noise at the camp, Bellamy breathed out worriedly, "It's too quiet."

He moved forward to go into his camp, but Kane gripped his arm tightly and pulled him back. "We'll take it from here. Banks, Scanlan, you stay with them. We'll signal once we're sure it's safe."

Kane moved forward with Calix, Abby, and a few other guard members following pursuit as they entered the charcoal-covered drop ship scattered with bodies of the dead Grounders from the blast. Bellamy and Finn exchanged a glance once the guards were gone, and both of them were annoyed to the core that they were being pushed to the side when there were people that they cared about supposed to be on the other side of the wall they built from scratch. They paced and they waited for what felt like days before someone inside of the camp said something loudly, spiking Bellamy and Finn's attention. The two guards watching them blocked Bellamy and Finn from entering the main way, but fortunately for them, there was another way. After exchanging a glance, Bellamy and Finn darted for the foxhole by the entrance, earning shouts from the guards who were supposed to hold them, but they managed to climb into the foxhole immediately and get into the camp without a hitch. They observed their entire camp dusted with skeletal bones and a burnt ground, but there were no signs of their friends.

"Where is everyone?" Bellamy muttered to Finn, looking around desperately. Right as he walked further into the camp towards the drop ship, he observed Kane coming out with Murphy leaning on his arm, spilling some sob story. The immediate sight of John Murphy had Bellamy in an outrage because of all the terrible things he'd done—including the fact that he almost killed Bellamy and also shot both Alessia and Raven. The rage was too much to handle, and when Murphy had the audacity to look up at Bellamy and mutter, it pissed him off to no end.

"Bellamy," Murphy breathed. "You're...alive."

He lunged. There was no simpler way to put it; Bellamy Blake lunged at Murphy with all his strength, knocking Murphy out of Kane's grasp and tackling him to the ground with shouted expletives and animalistic punches. Bellamy could hear protests from Finn behind him, but he didn't care. Murphy deserved to die—to rot—for all he'd done.

Kane, who was staring down at the brawl with disgust and pity, looked over at Calix next to his shoulder with a nod. "Mercer."

Calix looked up at Kane with a sick look in his eyes, knowing what Kane wanted him to do. It was his 'tase him' look that was so disinterested, so unemotional, that it made Calix sick to his stomach. With a scoff, Calix muttered while stepping over to the fight, "Screw you, Kane, he's my friend. Blake! Blake! Bellamy!"

Calix must've shouted Bellamy's name ten times before he managed to loop his arms around Bellamy's punches and mustered enough strength to peel Bellamy off of Murphy's body with a struggle, but kept him far away. He didn't want to tase him; he would never do that to a friend. Bellamy struggled against Calix, but Calix shoved him further from Murphy and snapped, "Enough! Enough!"

When Bellamy had settled down with a large, furious sigh, Calix looked back at Kane, who stared with hardness in his eyes, itching to yell. Instead, he just snapped bitterly, "Can you place him under arrest, Mercer? Or is that too challenging for you?"

Calix raised a deep, irritated sigh as he turned back at Bellamy and shook out a cable tie from his pocket that Kane had supplied all the guards with when assigning Guard detail. He had no other choice but to tie it around Bellamy's hands tightly, binding them together so that he was restrained. The two guards behind Kane came over to help Calix get him situated.

"Wait," Finn tried to defend his friend. "You don't understand. Murphy murdered two of our people! He shot two others when he tried to hang Bellamy!"

"I don't care," Kane spat.

"One of the people he shot was your daughter," Finn explained, trying to spark the same change in Kane's mind as he had done before. But instead of doing what Finn had thought Kane would do, Marcus just frowned.

"If that _is_ the truth, then fine; he will be punished for his crimes, among them being firing a weapon at my daughter. But you are _not _animals." Kane turned back at Bellamy coldly. "There are rules! Laws! You are _not _in control here anymore."

* * *

Clarke and Alessia were brought into President Wallace's office at the same time, though they had both been held in different containment areas and, while Clarke was content with being pushed around by the guards handling her, Alessia was flinching away from them every time they tried to touch her, especially with the handcuffs on her already restricted wrists. When they entered President Wallace's office, Dante was standing with his back turned to the both of them. Without turning around, he spoke to the guards.

"Lose the handcuffs," he ordered them. Obliging, both guards beside the two prisoners unlocked the handcuffs from each girl's wrists. Dante pointed with his paintbrush to a blank canvas in the corner. "There's a blank canvas, if you'd like. Though, Alessia, I'm sure you'd prefer a notebook."

"I don't draw," Alessia said simply. Clarke swallowed.

"I used to paint the ground, too," she told Dante, looking at the painting he was working on as they spoke.

"It's not just the ground. It's a memory."

"You've been outside?"

"Yes," Dante continued, still painting. "56 years ago. For five minutes. I was seven when the first of what we call 'the Outsiders' appeared. Before that, we thought we were all there was. Imagine our surprise."

"I don't have to imagine," Clarke responded.

"My father, this was his office at the time, believed it meant that the Earth was survivable again. And so he opened the doors. Within a week, 54 people were dead from the exposure. My mother and sister among them." He turned around and wiped his hands free of paint while looking between both leaders. "Loss, pain, regret...time eases these things, girls, but the only time it's ever truly gone is when I'm painting."

"All right, so cool." Alessia crossed her arms. "You want to sit here and chit-chat about painting all day or are we gonna cut to the chase?"

Dante, who had set his suit jacket on the back of his chair in his office, looked over at Alessia with an amused smile. "I'm curious as to where you learned your manners."

"Oh, the Kanes don't have manners." Alessia ran a hand through her hair with a shrug. "It's a nuisance to us. We prefer hostility, it's ten times more effective. Otherwise, it just builds...and builds...and builds—"

"You didn't bring us here to talk about paint or manners," Clarke interrupted, covering up Alessia's rude and tired statements as she stared at President Wallace. "So what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"I'm afraid I have bad news," Dante began, looking between both of them. "Our patrols have swept the area and have found no evidence of survivors; either at your camp or from the Ark."

"How can they be sure?" Clarke pushed.

"They can't," Dante admitted. "I've ordered them to keep searching, but—"

"I-I need to see it for myself—"

"I'm sorry, I can't allow that," the President cut her off immediately. Alessia audibly scoffed, an action that did not go unnoticed by Dante, but went unspoken of. "I'm doing this for your own good, Clarke. It's not safe out there."

"It's not safe in here!" Alessia exclaimed, frustratedly turning around at him with her hands up in the air. Dante looked offended, but she barreled on. "There's absolutely no excuse for you to sit here and tell us that we aren't _allowed _to go outside. You said we weren't prisoners in here but that's exactly what we are if we can't leave! If you send search teams after us to make sure we don't escape! The radiation has no effect on us; there is no threat other than the Grounders, and so far, we've done a pretty good job at fending them off for ourselves, thank you!"

"It's not the radiation or the Grounders I'm concerned about," Dante explained as he called in the guards from outside. Clarke and Alessia both looked back at them, realizing they were being taken back to wherever they were going to be held next. He looked at the two of them with saddened eyes. "You both need time to grieve."

"I don't grieve!" Alessia groaned, burying her head in her hands, absolutely exasperated. All she heard coming out of President Wallace's mouth was bullshit on top of bullshit. None of it made sense and it didn't excuse anything. It was all a lie. Besides, there was nothing to grieve over. In her mind, at least, there was nothing to grieve over. There were more important things to focus on, more important things to do, then care about who lived or died at the end of the day. Maybe there was a small part of her that believed Bellamy was dead—that her friends, in general, were dead. But she shoved that part out of her mind and let it be. Their first priority was getting out.

When things had gone silent, Dante told both Clarke and Alessia, "The guards will take you to your room."

Clarke, through her teeth, spat, "And if we try to leave?"

"Please don't test me, Clarke," the President asked, confirming both of their thoughts. Mt. Weather couldn't be trusted; they were all liars. Clarke scoffed and turned, but Alessia didn't want to give up. She wanted to fight. But President Wallace looked at her with a hard stare. "You, especially, Alessia, I can see will be a very hard challenge. But I asked Clarke not to test me. I expect the same from you."

If her wrist wasn't broken, she would've fractured it by clenching her fist so hard in her hands. She was sure that the inside of her right palm was bleeding from her nail marks, but all she could do was huff and follow Clarke out of the room with the guard at an uncomfortable pace behind her. The guard put his hand on her arm to lead her out, but she shook him off with a murmured expletive, but didn't object to going in the direction she was pushed.

* * *

While the rest of the adults they came with stressed over other, more important things than what happened with Bellamy, Finn made his way over to the prisoner that had been placed on a crisp log by the front of the drop ship. He jogged over and observed Bellamy's hopeful eyes, but was forced to say a grim sentence.

"We're leaving," Finn informed him.

"What?" Bellamy exclaimed. "This is where they'll come back!"

"I don't think they're coming back. The Grounders took them and you know that." Bellamy shielded his eyes, looking at the floor, and slowly, Finn bent down to Bellamy's eye level and dropped his voice to a murmur. "We go with Kane to Alpha Station, we get reinforcements, weapons. Then we find our friends."

"Question," the leader piped sourly. "How many more of us will be dead by then?"

Finn swallowed harshly, knowing Bellamy was right. But then he turned over his shoulder and saw Raven lying on the ground, her back flat by the stretcher they had been able to construct, pale as a ghost. Though all Finn could think about was where Clarke was and that he needed to find her, he knew that it would have to wait. It was slightly different for Bellamy because, though a large part of him wanted to find all of his people, there was one person in particular he knew he _had _to find. The daughter of the man who ordered Bellamy's arrest for attacking Murphy not even two hours from a time where he'd rescued them.

"Abby says Raven needs surgery or she's gonna die," Finn told Bellamy with a sorrowful tone. Bellamy looked over at Raven and sighed, realizing that Spacewalker made a point. "It's time to go."

There was no more discussion after that. Finn got up from his bent position and turned to walk over to Raven, where he helped get his ex-girlfriend up off the floor and ready for movement. When he was gone, Calix walked up to Bellamy and grabbed his arm to pull him up off the leg. The two both knew who each other were, and regardless of the circumstances, found it nice to see each other again. They were friends. Best friends, in fact.

"Still getting yourself into trouble, Blake," Calix murmured, slightly bitter and slightly amused. Bellamy scoffed.

"Still working for Kane, Mercer."

Calix shrugged. "Some things never do change."

"Abby? We're ready to move out." Kane called out as he watched his Guards lead the way from the camp to Alpha Station's coordinates. Dr. Griffin was standing by the side of the drop ship, carving something into the metal. Kane pushed, "We've gotta get there before dark."

Abby nodded at him and, once finished with her masterpiece, fell into line as they all walked to Alpha Station. Where she had been placed at the drop ship, there was a message covered in metallic dust but surprisingly legible even with the knife that Abby had used.

_Clarke, please come home. 22KM South/SW. -Mom. _

* * *

"For the past and the future we serve," Dante spoke to his people as they gathered around the dining table at the end of the evening for supper.

"We give thanks," the entire crowd repeated, excluding those who were not aware of the prayer—which was most of the delinquents surrounding them, holding another's hand. Clarke and Alessia exchanged a glance from beside one another, skeptical as hell but refusing to say anything.

"Good health, good food, and good company in the blessing of new friends," Dante finished.

"We give thanks," said the crowd again, and this time, Alessia and Clarke could hear some of the delinquents repeat the blessing. Everyone sat down afterwards and began to eat their meal. Clarke, though reluctant, took a bite of her stew and it was visibly evident that there was a smile on her face as she was satisfied from the bite of food. However, Alessia was too stubborn. She could be forced to sit with them and listen to prayer all she wanted, but she didn't want to eat. She didn't want to enjoy herself. She didn't see a point in it if all of them were liars.

But Clarke gave her a look, one that told her to stop thinking about it. She pushed her bowl to Alessia and allowed her to take a bite of the meal in offering, trying to get her to do what was necessary to survive in Mt. Weather. Though she was reluctant, Alessia eventually took her spoon and managed to swallow down a bite of deliciously prepared food that she'd never had in her entire life. The mouth-watering taste she imagined before was just confirmed, but though she enjoyed it, she tried her hardest not to show that rejoice for the sake of her reputation. But after Clarke had taken the bowl away from her and finished it herself, Alessia proceeded to eat from her own plate in front of her.

When they were released from the dining hall and shown back to their rooms, Alessia found Jasper and Monty sitting across from each other on two bottom bunks of the bunk beds constructed for them in the room, and she could see that Jasper was explaining to Monty what had happened with Margot—it didn't take much to see that. She realized that it was in the best interest for her to join them, and so she sat down next to Jasper and the two looked at her with eyes glistening, where she took in a deep breath to keep herself from breaking.

"It was a pretty badass way to die." The sad smile on Alessia's lips faltered as she watched Monty and Jasper both realize what the statement meant, and both of them let out a tear for their friend. While Monty tried desperately not to cry but was still accompanied by the tears, Alessia, her throat thick, turned to Jasper, who looked like a heartbroken puppy. She asked him a question that she was sure she'd already known the answer to. "Did you love her, Jasper?"

Jasper looked down to the floor for a moment, silent, and both Monty and Alessia awaited his answer. Finally, Jasper's eyes lifted, and through shaking breaths, he nodded.

"S-Since I was two," he confessed, giving a slight sorrowful laugh. Alessia smiled at him, again melancholy. Jasper avoided her eyes. "I don't think she felt the same way, though."

"She did," Monty answered immediately, earning Jasper's attention. He seemed slightly surprised at Jasper's outburst, and Jasper to Monty's as well. A confused look overcame Jasper's face, but Monty nodded a few times, as if he knew the unavoidable truth. "She always did."

Alessia let Jasper and Monty talk it out, honoring their friend's memory in their words. Meanwhile, Alessia noticed that Clarke had climbed to the top bunk of their bed, claiming it for her own, and was lying in relaxed clothing as she drew in the Mt. Weather book that they had supplied everyone with. Lifting herself from Jasper's bed, she walked over to her and Clarke's bed, but before she could get a word out, she noticed something on the lower bunk for herself. It was a leather-bound book full of blank notebook paper, accompanied by a letter with her name neatly written on the front. With a sigh, Alessia sat down on the bed, knowing that Clarke was too distracted to notice her, and opened the letter.

_Alessia, _

_To release some of that pent-up hostility._

_Dante_

Her response was more a groan at the letter as she chucked it away from her and scoffed. But she looked at the leather-bound book, finding comfort in the blank notebook paper that didn't look like it was aged seventy years and the crisp ballpoint pen that looked somewhat professional. The object was so inviting—all she had to do was pick up the pen and write. But when she took a deep breath, she realized that she couldn't just write it down; it would feel too odd. She wanted to talk to someone; and if anything was odd, it was that, but it was the truth. So, setting aside the journal in her hand, she climbed up the bunk bed and joined Clarke, who looked up at her distractedly once Alessia joined.

"I saw you talking to Jasper and Monty," Clarke said quietly as Alessia situated herself to sit cross-legged on Clarke's bed. Still shading in the Mt. Weather book, which by her angle, Alessia could tell that Clarke was not so much drawing but more plotting, Clarke looked down and said quietly, "Are they okay? With what happened to Margot?"

Alessia swallowed. "I don't think they'll ever be okay. They lost someone close to them. We all did." Clarke looked up and, realizing the look in Alessia's eyes, she set down the book and her pen, giving her friend undivided attention. Alessia sighed and slipped her heels off her feet, throwing them onto the floor beneath them so that they landed with a heavy drop. Alessia looked back at Clarke at last, reluctantly. "Do you think they're still out there?"

Clarke hesitated, but at last, whispered, "They have to be."

"And if they're not?"

"We're gonna find a way to get out of here," Clarke said quietly, low enough so that no one could hear. Alessia dropped her eyes with a heavy sigh. "And when we do, we'll find Finn and Bellamy. We will."

But Clarke's assurance sounded so forced because she knew both of them were outside of the drop ship when the blast had gone off. She had seen both of them distracted by Grounders who were threatening to chop them to pieces. Neither one of them knew where Finn and Bellamy were, let alone Octavia or Raven. Raven was even _in _the drop ship and she wasn't with them, which only made them think the worst. Alessia turned her cheek for a moment, thinking about whether or not to say it aloud for the sake of her own health. She could go back to being herself; she could go back to bottling up her feelings and just write them down in the leather bound book that Dante had given her and disregard Clarke's willingness to listen. But she wouldn't.

"I slept with Bellamy," Alessia confessed. Clarke, though partially surprised at the outburst, was hardly surprised at the contents of it. Without waiting for a response, Alessia continued, so quiet that no one but themselves could hear. "And then...then, he slept with Raven."

"Raven?" Clarke repeated, this time surprised. Alessia nodded.

"Yeah. Raven." She let out a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair before continuing. Clarke surveyed her, keeping an eye on her friend and watching her expressions as she turned sharply back at Clarke with a bitter tone. "Do you...do you remember Calix's ex-girlfriend? The one who kept coming around and trying to seduce him? Do you remember that? How he hid it from me for two weeks before he told me what had been going on."

"Vaguely," the blonde admitted.

"I don't get jealous." Alessia scooted forward with a dramatic look in her eye. "I've _never _gotten jealous before in my entire life, even when I learned that some beautiful 21-year-old was coming around trying to steal my boyfriend back. I mean, I trusted him enough not to get angry with _him, _but...but I saw you, Clarke. I saw what happened between you, Finn, and Raven, and you were jealous." Clarke avoided her gaze, but didn't object. "But what pisses me off more than anything is the fact that _I _was too. When I saw Raven in Bellamy's tent, I wanted to punch her. I mean, I didn't, but I...I wanted to. So what the hell is wrong with me?"

Alessia waited for a response and watched as Clarke tried to hide, and inevitably failed, a chuckle from her lips. Frowning, Alessia watched as Clarke laughed softly and then smiled at her. "Did you ever think that...I don't know, maybe...maybe you actually _care _about him?"

"No."

"Really?"

"I mean, I slept with him once, Clarke. Probably because I was drunk. And three quarters of the time, I can't stand him. I mean, I care whether or not he lives or dies because...he's Bellamy, but...but..." She trailed off to try and find the right word, where Clarke waited patiently and condescendingly as Alessia struggled and eventually came to the resolution with her eyes laser-focused on Clarke. "If I didn't react that way when it came to someone I loved unconditionally, it can't be possible that I felt that way when it comes to someone I don't."

Clarke didn't want to say what she was thinking, because she knew it would upset Alessia. Some things were best left for another day, especially after the day they'd had together. With a shake of her head, Clarke shrugged.

"Maybe it's the air down here," she suggested. Alessia thought about it for a moment.

"Or those hallucinogenic nuts," she added. Clarke scoffed as Alessia gasped. "Oh, or Monty's moonshine! It's probably Monty's moonshine."

Clarke smiled. "I'm sure that's exactly what it is."

Alessia let out a relieved breath and looked around them at all of the 48 chatting amongst themselves in the room they shared. They all looked so happy, but all she could imagine was what would happen when the Mt. Weather people suddenly decided to stop taking the food away or lock them in the quarantine rooms again and etcetera, etcetera. Dropping all previous conversation with Clarke, she turned back at the blonde with serious eyes.

"All right. Enough about me. Back to the daily grind." She picked up the welcome book Clarke had been drawing in and observed the estimated enhanced map that Clarke had drawn inside. Alessia lifted her eyes. "We need to find a way out of this hellhole."

* * *

When Kane, Bellamy, Calix, Abby, Finn, Raven, and the rest of the Guards following pursuit finally reached Alpha Station, after a round of warm welcomes from people who had survived the fall, Murphy and Raven were taken into Medical with Abby and Finn behind them, Calix was instructed to take Bellamy to a secure location within the station, and Kane reunited with Sinclair with a welcome handshake. Kane looked down at a piece of metal positioned at the front of the camp, where someone had carved "Camp Jaha" into the scrap metal. He looked up at Sinclair.

"Was this your idea?"

"Yes, Sir," Sinclair said without hesitation. Kane nodded with a small, melancholic smile.

"It's a good idea. Have we heard from him?"

"No, Sir. Still radio silence."

Kane took a moment to process the information, thinking about the Chancellor who had sacrificed himself for his people. Too many things had happened in one day for Kane to process—in addition to arresting Bellamy Blake and rescuing John Murphy and Raven Reyes from the drop ship, Abby was still unable to find her daughter and he was unable to find his.

But collecting himself, Kane began to walk further into camp, muttering to Sinclair, "Well, you better brief me, then."

"Yes, Sir." Sinclair smiled. "Mr. Chancellor."

Kane and Sinclair exchanged a look, but as Sinclair moved at a normal pace into the camp, Kane took a moment to hang back and reflect. He didn't want the position this way—no matter how much he wanted it to begin with. There he was in the middle of camp, Chancellor of their people, while their real Chancellor was most likely dying of asphyxiation on Earth Monitoring and his daughter was nowhere to be found.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**queenmargaerys: **Thank you! Here it is, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! Alessia will be leaving Mt. Weather with Clarke and Anya in 2x03 just because I need her to be on the outside to move the plot line along. Otherwise she'd be yelling at everyone in Mt. Weather and it'd be a whole big thing lol. Thanks again!

**CyberGirlfriend: **Thank you. Yeah, I mean, you've gotta think that being on the ground fighting for your lives would change a person so I'm trying to really convey that Alessia is torn between letting herself go to that "Kane-like" place inside of her or stay on the good side of the moral line she promised she would always have so it'll help develop her character a lot. Calix is portrayed by Robert Pattinson and Alessia is portrayed by Shelley Hennig. If all else fails, you can always go onto my profile page and all my actors/actresses for OCs are displayed with a gif so you know who they are :)

**Aiphira: **Thank you! I can't speak to what will happen in 2x16 right now...honestly because I really want to watch the first few episodes of Season 3 before I can decide what I want to happen in the last one. There can be three ways that Mt. Weather situation could go but right now it's a total toss up so I haven't decided but I will be able to get back to you on that sometime once the show starts airing again. Thank you for your input because I really do appreciate it and I will consider what you say. I try my best not to make everything about romance but sometimes I just need to put it in there to either show development or move things along so I mean, the romance won't disappear entirely but that point you made about her deciding that she has no time for romance is more or less going to happen. Really, she's going to see what's happening between Calix and Bellamy when they both realize they like the same girl and she's going to flat-out say that they don't have time with everything going on to decide who gets to sleep in her bed at night. But she does know that romance isn't everything, only sometimes will she really need to bring it up and that's just a part of her character development. But yes, I will definitely consider your thoughts and thanks for reviewing!

**Alexis-mikaelson: **Thank you! Here it is :)

**TheDysfunctional: **I did. I killed her because I felt it was a really good plot twist and plus, I was always a little shocked how no one "important" legitimately died in that battle considering all of the hell they raised so I did it to be practical about it. I know, I shipped her with Jasper too, and hopefully this episode gave you closure because from the moment I decided Margot was going to be killed off, I wanted to have this scene where Jasper admits his feelings and Monty tells him that he knows she did, too. I'm really sorry though don't cry. Jasper said he loved her even though she's gone! Yeah Alessia's raging is pretty awesome. There's no new story, just a new chapter. If I split seasons up into new stories I would have a headache from having so many stories lol but I hope this update was soon enough. Thanks for reviewing!

**WinchesterDixonBros: **I know. Poor Margot. Yeah school is hella stressful ugh but I finally got time this weekend. Alessia and Calix's reunion is only a few episodes away and Kane and Alessia's a few episodes after that! Was it what you expected? Thanks for reviewing!

**Nirvana14: **Thank you! Here it is!

**voidlahey: **Aw I'm sorry! But hopefully this chapter gave you closure! Thanks for reviewing!

**hella-sirius: **Unfortunately it is not one of those "deaths" where it's not real because it was time for poor Margot to move on. Alessia definitely does not fit into Mount Weather. Not at all lol. thanks for reviewing!

**Momsen-xxxx: **Thanks! Nope. Not one bit. Which is going to be super fun in 2x16 when Lexa betrays them all and Alessia's kind of gonna be like "See, what did I tell you?"

**sydhuman: **Thank you! Episode 2 will be really Bellamy/Kane/Calix heavy because they're all going to have interaction with one another and Bellamy's gonna learn that his best friend is the "dead" boyfriend of the girl Bellamy has feelings for so that's gonna be fun. Thanks for reviewing!

**katiesgotagun: **Dramatic, indeed! Thank you! There's not really a sequel, just the chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it!

**BrittWitt16: **I try not to take away as many Clarke scenes as I can because I don't want Alessia to steal Clarke's place at all. Sometimes, however, it's necessary, and when it is, I don't make it verbatim. Everyone jumped on the Robin Hood bandwagon but Bellamy likes saying it so much more lol. HA yes I love it! I might have to use the "Try not to get yourself killed" line again then. The Mountain Men deserve a "woo"? :P Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**ambrosesdixon: **Margot's death got everyone. It's good to know I can still surprise all of you when I'm responding to reviews and I get to answer questions. Bellessia's separation is sad but it will definitely affect Alessia...until she realizes that Calix is alive and then kind of gets all confused and frustrated and fed up. Alessia...kind of denied it in this chapter, but Clarke definitely knows the truth. Yeah Bellamy and Alessia are definitely going to go through their fair share of rough patches in Season 2 but it'll all be worth it. It's definitely good! It's gonna be a little awkward, but good, at least. Of course, that is until he screws it up again. Surprise, surprise. Aw don't cry. I'll fight for Bellessia too don't worry :)

**pureO: **Hey, if she had to go down, at least she went down knowing she was a badass! Yes, they definitely do care about each other and that line was specifically meant to act as a peace offering for all you readers so that the separation is more bearable. Calix and Bellamy's reunion was eh. It could've been better, but I was thinking about how to reunite them but honestly, Calix and Bellamy both strike me as the sort of guys who don't "hug it out" or whatever but in the next chapter, they're gonna have way more interaction where it'll become apparent that they're best friends. Though I'm not sure, I think I might have flashbacks in the next chapter that involve Bellamy and Calix. Either in 2x02 or later in the season, I'm not sure. Bellamy is not going to mention anything about Alessia to Calix, but Calix will tell Bellamy who he's looking for which makes Bellamy realize. But Alessia will be the one to tell Calix about Bellamy and someone else (not Bellamy) will tell Alessia about Calix at Camp Jaha. Oh she was definitely sassy and suspicious about the Mountain Men in this chapter. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! Thanks for reviewing!

**Violet Smoak: **Thank you! Hopefully Jasper's confession gave you a bit of closure so you don't have to be sad about Margot's death. Like I said, their reunion was pretty mellow in this chapter but next chapter they'll really get to talk and it'll be good. Here it is! Thanks for reviewing!

**The Auburn Girl: **Thank you! Upcoming drama here we come...

**LovelyFandomLover: **Thanks! I wasn't too into writing it at the beginning if I'm being honest but once it got to 1x05 I started liking it a whole lot more lol so you're not alone. I hope you enjoyed 2x01! Definitely not drawing out the love triangle. Alessia's going to get pissed at Calix and Bellamy when their testosterone comes out, don't you worry. Thanks for reviewing!


	15. Inclement Weather

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Inclement Weather**

_Six Months Ago..._

_Bellamy Blake was sitting in his home on the Ark, just lying down on his bed in silence. Things seemed so quiet as of late, since Octavia was arrested and his mother was floated after what he had done. He never meant for it to happen; all he wanted was for his sister to be happy for once and not confined to the four walls of their incredibly bland pod. He'd been kicked out of the guard and now all that was left of Bellamy Blake was a janitor's uniform. A janitor_—_it was something that Bellamy dreaded for the rest of his life. And his sister, his sister would be floated when she turned eighteen. His life seemed more like a nightmare. _

_But there he was, lying in silence listening to nothing but the sound of his own thoughts, when there was a knock on the door. He didn't want to answer it; he was too grumpy to see anyone. But the knocking kept persisting and persisting and persisting..._

_Finally, Bellamy snapped. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" _

_Half-angrily, half-disinterestedly, he walked to the door and jerked it open, just to find Calix Mercer standing outside the door with a pack of Ark-branded beer underneath his arm. Bellamy was quiet for a moment but watched as his friend, whom he hadn't spoken to since Calix had been kicked out of the guard, gave him a small smile. _

_"I heard about what happened to your mom and your sister." Calix held up the pack of beer, melancholic. "Traded a week's rations for it. Don't make it go to waste."  
_

_And although Bellamy didn't feel much like talking to anyone, he let himself laugh quietly and let his friend through the door. _

* * *

Kane observed as the people of Camp Jaha worked themselves to get a decent camp set up to protect everyone from the Grounders and make for a comfortable living style. As average workers found themselves of some important use, Kane walked from the outside into Alpha Station, where the guards he had appointed were working to make the inside of the station feasible for people to walk in and out of without risk of tripping over wires and fallen beams. Seeing the guard positioned outside of the locked chamber he had ordered sealed off, Kane nodded to the guard and slipped his gun off of his shoulder.

"Open it up."

"Yes, Sir."

Handing the gun to the guard after the code was punched in, Kane walked through the opening doors and observed Bellamy Blake pacing back and forth in the debris-covered room. There were two guards standing at the doors of the chambers as Kane walked through, but they stood their ground and didn't speak a word as Bellamy's eyes settled on Kane.

"How long are you gonna keep me locked up in here?" Blake bit.

"Until I'm confident you're no longer a threat to others," Kane responded. He grabbed the chair he had set aside the last time he had been in the chamber and he positioned it in front of Bellamy, taking a seat for himself. He could see the young man get frustrated, but Kane didn't bat an eye. "Let's continue. You said there were hundreds of Grounders attacking. Two? Three hundred?"

"I didn't count."

"Why do you think they attacked? What provoked them?"

"We were here," Bellamy answered simply. "That was enough. We're wasting time! The others didn't just vanish into thin air, they were taken! We need to go after them—"

"Search team is prepping to leave," Kane assured the fidgety prisoner, but Bellamy was less than satisfied with the answer. "But not before we've gotten the intel we need from you."

Bellamy rushed forward, sitting in the chair that had previously been put out for him during his other talks with Kane. Looking into the Chancellor's eyes, he nearly begged, "I need to be on that team. Please."

"That's out of the question. You're not trained. It's too dangerous."

Bellamy was silent for a long time. If only he could tell Kane _why _he wanted to go. _Who _he wanted to go after. But something was telling him that if he told Kane why he wanted to go so badly, Kane would do nothing but lock him up and maybe even execute him. Honestly, Bellamy wouldn't put it past Marcus to do something like that considering what he'd learned from his daughter and his own experiences in such little time.

"Those are my people out there." Bellamy tried to sound as firm as he could, but he could see the look in Kane's eye. Marcus leaned forward and it was clear that he wasn't going to give on letting him leave to find the rest of the 100.

"They're my people, too," Kane began, but he didn't have a paternal spark anywhere in his eyes. Bellamy saw it with Abby—the worried look over Clarke's unknown whereabouts, but Kane? Kane looked as if all he wanted was to kill whatever Grounders he could get his hands on. "You want to help them? Tell me what we're up against. Grounder tactics, their numbers, what kind of weapons they used."

Bellamy hesitated, but at last, informed him, "Arrows and spears, axes, swords, their teeth..."

"No guns?" Blake shook his head tightly. "You had guns."

This time, Blake nodded. "The guns we found at the aid depot leveled the playing field and...maybe...maybe if we'd had more bullets, we could've—"

"There were more bullets." Kane leaned back as Bellamy sat quietly and waited for an explanation. "The search team just returned from the bunker; they found two more barrels full of rifles and a third full of bullets."

Bellamy thought back to that day at the bunker. He, Alessia, and Clarke had been so distracted by what had happened with Dax and the hallucinogens that they didn't look thoroughly enough. Now that he thought about it, he was sure there was another corridor they hadn't gone down that could've housed the barrels Kane was talking about.

"We should've looked harder," Bellamy muttered. Right as the room went quiet, the doors to the chamber opened and in came two guards bringing a cable-tied Murphy inside, sparking immediate anger in Bellamy. He rose from his chair and growled, "What's he doing here?"

"Excuse me, sir," the blonde guard looked down at Kane and ignored Bellamy's obvious protest. "Dr. Griffin cleared Mr. Murphy out of medical."

Kane stood and, with a look back at the protesting Bellamy, just pointed to a corner to the left of his chair. "Put him over there, Major Byrne."

Bellamy let out a frustrated sigh, but when the guards came over to him to tie him back up, he didn't object, finding that it would do the exact opposite of what he wanted. He could hear Murphy's annoying comment from across from him as the guards tied Murphy to the corner Kane had assigned and Bellamy to the opposite post.

"Well, this should be fun," Murphy mumbled. Right as Bellamy was about to say something, there was a very distinct sound coming from outside Alpha Station—three gunshots. Kane and all the guards behind him rushed out of the chamber, leaving Murphy and Bellamy completely alone.

* * *

_I hate this place. _

_I hate everything about it. I hate the food, I hate the clothes, I hate the people. I can't stand any of it. I feel as if I'm about to spontaneously combust from too much hatred inside of me...not that it has ever really been an issue before, but I'm serious this time. _

_I think the only one who might hate this place as much as I do is Clarke; and imagine my surprise when I heard that, while I was chatting up one of the handsy guards for any information I could possibly get about this place, she ended up breaking into Medical with Jasper trying to find answers. I'm sure the rest of our people think we're absolutely insane for turning down such a good offer, but they're all too blinded by all the clothes, all the food that this place has to offer that they can't see the truth that's right in front of them. _

_Clarke and I both know that there is something not sitting right with these people. Not with Dante, not with his creepy son Cage, not with that girl Maya who I tried to kill with my shoe (that sounded really strange but I promise it happened). But I just can't seem to figure out what the hell is going on and it's killing me. I need to get out of here. If I spent one more second smiling at these godforsaken people..._

"I'm guessing you have some choice words about this place." Alessia put down her pen and looked over her shoulder on the chair she was sitting on, seeing Cage Wallace step out from behind her with a cup of coffee in his hand. She frowned at him. "You seem like a girl who has a very intelligent vocabulary."

"I don't know." Alessia let out a dramatic breath. "I mean...does 'screw you' count as intelligent vocabulary? Let's try it out. Screw you."

She moved to get up from the seat, but Cage caught her attention back as he sat down at the seat across from her. "So, I hear your friend Clarke broke into Medical this morning."

Alessia moved back into her chair, deciding on a second thought not to get up. She set her journal down on the coffee table in front of her and crossed one leg over another. "Clarke's a very stubborn girl when she thinks people are lying to her."

Cage cocked an eyebrow. "And what's there to lie about?"

"Please." Alessia scoffed as she leaned back and stared him down, something she was eerily good at. "Everything about this place is suspicious. I don't trust you, or anyone else in this underground hell, as far as I can throw you. And there's no way in hell that I'm going to pretend to believe in all of this, no matter how your dad threatens me."

"What are you in such a hurry to get out for?" Cage propositioned, leaning forward slightly with a curious look in his eye. Alessia remained still, sitting with her hands in her lap and her head cocked ever so slightly to the side as she watched him smile. "I mean, you're clean for the first time in...how many days now? You've got food you don't have to go out and hunt for, you have clothes that aren't the ones you had when you came down in your ship." He paused. "There has to be a reason why you're so quick to get your foot out the door."

"There are people who need my help," she said simply.

"People?"

"Yes."

"More like a _person._" Cage leaned back and nonchalantly sipped his coffee. "My bet's on a boyfriend."

Alessia took a moment and watched Cage as he attempted to manipulate her into telling him whatever he was planning on. She decided not to take the bait because, honestly, she couldn't give two shits about who was sitting in front of her. There was a part of her that wanted to walk away, but there was another part of her that wanted to take the opportunity.

"Your interest in me is way too obvious."

"It's supposed to be."

She wanted to vomit all over the floor looking at the way his eyes lit up. It was just disgusting, considering this all started when he broke her wrist. Then again, there were certain things that Bellamy did that had her questioning why she actually cared about him in the first place, but regardless of that, Cage was far from her type. Even if he wasn't one of the Mountain Men, she would still hate him. Although the reason he disgusted her was because he was just too arrogant.

But nevertheless, she played along. With a smile, she lifted herself off of the couch and watched as he followed her movements so that they were both standing, separated by the coffee table. She looked behind him and saw Clarke talking to Dante, and therefore, she realized she had to wrap it up. She looked back at Cage and smiled.

"In that case, I don't have a boyfriend."

He pursed his lips. "That's good to know."

"But I do have a friend who broke into Medical this morning." Alessia stepped around him without another word and walked to Clarke, where she was waiting as Dante put his plate back on the buffet table. Clarke found her at her side and gave a worried look, and Alessia gave her one back just as Dante walked back over to them.

"Alessia, what a nice surprise," Dante spoke with a smile. Alessia tried to force one on him but she was too preoccupied with the intensity of the situation that it came out half-hearted. Dante spoke softly next. "I assume you would like to see the body as well?"

_Body? _Alessia repeated in her head and looked at Clarke, who gave a slight nod. Immediately, Alessia turned back at Dante and smiled falsely. "Of course."

* * *

_Bellamy cracked open the third can of beer he'd attempted, kicking his feet up on the desk in his home. Bringing the can to his lips, he took a hearty sip before continuing his rant to Calix, who was sitting on the bed, his back against the railing and his feet comfortably out in front of him. _

_"Jaha should've never won the election," Bellamy spat sourly as he stared at the wall in thought. "I mean, what kind of a rule is that? You can't have more than one child! It's insane, that's what it is." _

_"It's to keep the population under control," Calix answered as he took a sip of his own beer and swallowed it down. Bellamy was one-up on him and was sure to grab the last one. Bellamy looked back at Calix with hard eyes, and therefore, Calix shrugged. "I mean...yeah...totally a stupid rule, man. Totally."  
_

_Bellamy swung his legs off of the desk and looked at Calix. "What's wrong with you? You've barely said two words. I know you have some built-up anger about Kane kicking you out. The guy pretended to be your mentor for almost a year and a half and then he just...lets you go?"_

_Calix wanted to respond, but he felt as if he were lying every time he opened his mouth. He didn't tell anyone about the truth of what had happened; and since it was never explicitly broadcast that he was the one who was arrested since Alessia had been the one to give everyone the rations they'd stolen, no one knew the truth automatically; least of all Bellamy. _

_He tilted his beer can with a shrug. "I mean, the man's a dick. He's always been a dick. I should've seen it coming from the day he asked me to leave Mecha Station and train for him."  
_

_Bellamy scoffed. "You've got that right." He took another gulp from the can and, when he came back for air, a silence passed before he started to laugh. "Hey, but did you hear about what happened to his daughter?" _

_Calix looked at Bellamy, but he had always been good at hiding the truth from others. With another shrug, he asked casually, "What happened?" _

_"She was arrested." Bellamy didn't bother holding back a chuckle as he took another sip and continued. "It's ridiculous. She stole rations and handed them out to the people in the mess hall __minutes before they came and got her. She's like some sort of female version of that fairy tale...you know, that guy who stole from the rich to give to the poor...?"  
_

_"Robin Hood," Calix finished. Bellamy nodded as he finished the can of beer. _

_"Right! Robin Hood." He let out a sigh. "I mean, I would feel bad for her if I didn't know what was going to happen." As Bellamy leaned forward for the extra can of beer, Calix snatched it up first and smiled as he finished his own drink quickly and cracked open the other can. Taking it, Bellamy just chuckled and leaned back in his chair, realizing that he'd probably had enough for the night, anyway. _

_"What do you 'know' is going to happen?" Calix murmured as he took the first sip from the can. Bellamy scoffed. _

_"Come on, Mercer. She's Marcus Kane's daughter. Everyone says she confessed to the crime alone so she's gonna live out her full sentence in jail to appease everyone out here and then she's gonna be released upon revision because...mmm, like I said, she's Kane's daughter." His lips turned down into a sour frown. "Meanwhile, Octavia will be killed without Jaha batting an eye." _

_Calix straightened. "They said she confessed to the crime alone?" _

_Bellamy exhaled, disinterested. "Yeah. So?"_

_There was so much that Calix wanted to say, but he knew he couldn't say it. He wanted to tell Bellamy everything_—_starting with how he and Alessia had been together and working his way up towards the confession that he was behind the crime in the first place and that she didn't deserve to be put in jail for it. But then he thought of what Kane had told him and how, no matter how brutally irritating Marcus Kane could be sometimes, Kane was right. If he loved Alessia, he had to let her go. He was no longer a member of the Guard, no longer someone who could provide for her the way that Marcus did. It was best not to speak of it ever again, even to Bellamy. _

_Calix shrugged again and gave Bellamy a tight smile before bringing the beer up to his lips. "Nothing." _

* * *

Bellamy and Murphy managed to sit in silence for the rest of the time since the gunshot sounds had gone off. Murphy attempted conversation a few times, but each time, Bellamy refused to speak to him and the message had clearly been conveyed after some time. Neither one of them had been visited by Kane or any of the other guards since the gunshot sounds earlier in the morning, so they didn't know how long it'd been since that sound when they'd heard another. This time, it was a scream—and it undoubtedly sounded like Raven. Murphy played with the tie locking him to the post and attempted another conversation.

"Yeah, that was me at the Grounder camp." He sighed. "You know, I did everything I could not to scream, but eventually..."

"But, eventually, you broke and you told them everything," Bellamy finished bitterly. Murphy looked up at him with cold eyes.

"And you wouldn't have because you're better than me?"

"Damn right." Murphy smiled, and Bellamy was practically shaking with anger. "I'm not a traitor. I didn't tell them where they could find us."

"And I did," he admitted, to Bellamy's surprise. Murphy nodded. "Yeah, I did. After they tortured me in their prison camp for three days. But go ahead, you just keep believing. Even if you are in here just like me." Bellamy turned his head, thinking over Murphy's words as Murphy studied him and finally started to laugh, slightly vindictive. "You know, it's gotta hurt, doesn't it, Bellamy? Being put in here by your girlfriend's father? And for all you know, she could be dead—"

"Shut up," Bellamy barked at him, tired of hearing Murphy's voice in his ear. Murphy stared, but as Bellamy opened his mouth to say something else, the doors to the chamber split and Calix came in, setting his gun on the chair that was in the center of the room. Murphy looked up at him.

"Who the hell are you?"

Calix looked over at him. "Who the hell are _you_?"

"I asked you first."

Bellamy interrupted them, unable to move himself from his position but raising his voice higher to overpower what was going on between Calix and Murphy. "Hey! Can you get me out of here or what?"

Calix sighed and walked over to Bellamy, shaking his head. "I'm trying, but Kane's on red alert after what happened this morning with a civilian. Someone shot off an unauthorized weapon and wasted a few bullets so now he's threatening felonies and..." Calix shook his head, frustrated, but returned to the point as he bent down to Bellamy's level. "But the good news is, I talked to that guy you were with earlier—Finn. He said he wants to go out and find Clarke."

"What else did he say?" Bellamy pushed.

"He said right now he has to say with Raven Reyes. Dr. Griffin is getting the bullet out of her spine..." There was another scream that echoed through the camp, and all three men inside the room paused and waited for it to pass. Calix exhaled heavily. "And that's her right now. They don't have any anesthetics—she's doing this all on her own. Finn said once the surgery is done and Raven's okay, we can leave."

"We?" Bellamy repeated, confused. "You don't need to come with us. You'll risk your cover with Kane if you leave and when we come back, he'll know it was you who helped me escape. You should stay here, keep an eye on things—"

"I don't care about my cover with Kane." Calix shook his head and scoffed while Bellamy stopped and let his friend explain himself. "Look, Bellamy, I'm not just doing this to help you get your people back."

"Then...why are you doing it?"

Calix swallowed thickly. He didn't tell Bellamy on the Ark that day because he was so drowned in sorrow that he couldn't bare to think about Alessia anymore, let alone tell Bellamy what he had been keeping for so long. But even as he tried to tell Bellamy there, something inside of him was blocking it. He'd never told another soul about what happened with Alessia because she had asked him to keep it a secret from everyone else because of her father. He kept it from his best friend.

But there was a time when the truth had to come out, so Calix just sighed and eventually did so. "Back on the Ark, before I was arrested...I was...I was dating Kane's daughter. And since she was captured by the Grounders too—"

"Wait," Bellamy stopped him, at a loss for words. There was no trace of amusement in Calix's eyes, ruling out some sick joke. "What the hell are you talking about? Before you were arrested?"

Calix nodded. "One year ago. Kane was going to float me but...well, I'll spare the details, but I'm still here. I'm sure she still thinks I'm dead, it's a whole big mess but...I really need to set it right. I need to see her again, which is why I'm going with you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Murphy intervened, jumping into the conversation as Bellamy sat, speechless, on the floor. Calix turned to Murphy, as did Bellamy, but Murphy was looking at Calix with a hidden smile on his face. "To be clear, you _are _talking about Alessia Kane, right?"

Though Calix did not clearly answer the question, it was already answered for Murphy. Marcus Kane only had one daughter, and that was their precious Robin Hood.

"Who _are _you?" Calix asked again, narrowing his eyes at the other prisoner. But before Murphy could respond, he just began to laugh. It confused the hell out of Calix, who brushed past it without a second thought, but it was clear to Bellamy that Murphy thought the situation, ironic in its purest form, was worth his snicker.

"Wow," Murphy said through his laughs as he looked back and forth between Calix and Bellamy. "This day could not get any better."

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said the doctor who walked into the white room Clarke, Alessia, and Dante were standing in. She wheeled with her a body covered up by a simple white sheet. "We had to finish decontamination."

"Thank you, Dr. Tsing." Dante smiled kindly at her. Clarke, however, was hardly as friendly has he was.

"The man with the burns, how is he?" the blonde rushed out to the tanned-skin doctor.

"He's improving."

"I-I'd like to talk to him."

Dr. Tsing was clearly hesitant to let Clarke go poking holes in their medical procedure in Mt. Weather. Alessia stood by idly, observing but not really a part of the situation at hand, for she was clueless but decided that she would get the story from Clarke later on. What she gathered from it all was that Clarke, after breaking into Medical earlier in the morning, had seen both a dead body and a man suffering from contamination from the ground and was highly skeptical of both of it. But just as Clarke was skeptical of Dr. Tsing, Dr. Tsing was skeptical of Clarke, as she turned to her president reluctantly.

"Sir, only patients are allowed in Medical," she reminded him, as if her leader needed reminding. Dante didn't remove his eyes from Clarke, but ignored Dr. Tsing's warning.

"We can arrange that," he agreed.

Clarke nodded graciously, and without further delay, Dr. Tsing pulled back the white sheet over the cold corpse and let Clarke and Alessia look at the body. Alessia swallowed down the bile in her throat seeing the paleness of death in front of her, but Clarke barely bat an eye. She pointed at a circular implant to the left of the corpse's chest.

"What is this?"

"It's a dialysis shunt," said the doctor. "We all have them in case of exposure." Clarke and Alessia shared a confused glance, but they didn't get a chance to ask a question when Dr. Tsing moved on. "Would you like to see the exit wound?"

Clarke nodded, and Dr. Tsing used her glove-covered hands to pull the wounded shoulder of the corpse up so that Clarke and Alessia could bend down and see the damage. Dante helped the doctor with the heavy body, but it seemed clear as day.

"Sergeant Langston was forced to push the arrow out in the field."

"So where's the arrow?" Alessia asked the doctor, looking up from the wound, inferring that the reason Clarke was so intent on seeing the body was to prove that the man's death was caused by a Grounder, not one of their people.

"We've got it right here," Dr. Tsing assured. A frown settled upon Clarke's face as she realized she was wrong when Dr. Tsing turned and handed her an biohazard bag containing the bloody arrowhead that was seemingly lodged into the Sergeant's shoulder. Clarke looked over at Alessia, a guilty look upon her face, but Alessia couldn't say anything to disprove what they were telling them. Everything they presented pointed to the truth that the corpse had been shot by an arrow, an arrow from a Grounder.

After Dante agreed that Clarke would be able to see the man with the contamination burns once it was deemed appropriate, Clarke and Alessia were sent back to the collective room they shared with the rest of their friends. As they walked back to the room, Clarke told Alessia about what had happened earlier in the morning while she had been getting breakfast.

"Clarke," Alessia complained, "You've got to stop this." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't trust this place as much as you don't. I _hate _this place. But we've tried to get truth by asking questions and it didn't work. Now, we have to strategize."

"We can't strategize!" Clarke hissed, panicked. Alessia sighed. "Alessia, every moment we spend in here is one less moment we could be out there trying to find Bellamy and Finn. Trying to find the Ark! We have to get out of here!"

"I know!" The brunette grabbed Clarke's arm and spun her to a stop just before they entered the room. Clarke scowled at her. "Look at me, Clarke. I know. I'm working on it; you just have to trust me."

Clarke was silent for a long time before she finally nodded in agreement, and Alessia let her arm go gently as they both stepped into the room and looked around as their people caught sight of them. Amongst the lingering stares, Jasper rushed up to Alessia and Clarke worriedly.

"What did President Wallace say?" he asked Clarke.

"He showed us Shaw's body," she answered glumly. "It..._looked _like an arrow wound."

"Well, maybe because it _is _an arrow wound?" Jasper suggested as Clarke leaned on a nightstand and looked up at him. Alessia stood beside her with her arms crossed and watched as Clarke scoffed.

"Or that's what they want us to think." Jasper avoided her eyes. "What?! They could've doctored it!"

"Clarke, you sound like a crazy person."

"She's not crazy," Alessia defended. The teenager frowned at her. "For all you know, she could be right. None of us know what these people are capable of. Besides, that doctor was pretty hesitant to give us what we asked for."

"Now it makes two of you." He looked back and forth between Clarke and Alessia. "Why do you want to screw this up for us?"

"I don't know what 'this' is," Clarke confessed.

"This is...safe," Jasper responded. "This is food, a real bed, clothes...and my personal favorite, not getting speared by Grounders! How long do you think they'll let us stay here if you two keep this up?"

Clarke's eyes changed on a dime, and instead of being offended at his question, she moved forward and asked quietly, "Did someone threaten you?"

Jasper stared blankly for a moment, and then scoffed at her bitterly. "No. No, it's common sense. Look, we're guests here, not...prisoners. What would you do to two guests that kept calling you a liar and...generally acted like an ungrateful ass?"

"Kick the ungrateful ass out," said another voice, and Alessia and Clarke looked to find Miller reading a book under his bunk bed as he joined in on the conversation distractedly.

"Thanks, Miller," Alessia mumbled.

"Anytime, Kane," he replied.

"Right now," Jasper continued, ignoring Alessia and Miller's side comments as he looked between the both of them. "The biggest threat to us is the two of you."

With disappointed eyes, Jasper turned and walked away from the blonde and the brunette. Clarke looked just as sad as he was, but Alessia was more than offended. Inside her crossed arms, her fists clenched, and she made a clearly offended sound.

"And he wants to talk about being an ungrateful ass." With a scowl, she looked around with a sigh. "And this is why I liked it so much better when these people hated me."

* * *

Later at night, after Raven's surgery had finished and things had settled down at Camp Jaha, Finn, Calix, and Monroe burst into the lock-up chamber, Finn sliding onto his knees right in front of Bellamy while Calix and Monroe watched the hallway for any intruders as they attempted their prison break. Bellamy was slow to respond to the intrusion, but Finn wasted no time.

"Get up," he demanded the leader. Bellamy forced himself onto his knees as far as the tie around his hands would let him sit upright. "We're going after them."

Finn quickly unzipped his bag and pulled out of a pair of pliers, where he cut Bellamy's tie to free his friend. Bellamy climbed up to stand straight and he muttered, "It's about time."

"Come on, we've gotta move," Calix pushed Finn as he peered down the hallway, concerned. "I sent the guard at the door out to talk to Kane, but he'll be back any minute."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Murphy pleaded as Bellamy and Finn began to move to the door. "What about me?"

Bellamy and Finn shared a glance, and Bellamy could see the shake in Finn's head. Without delay, Bellamy bent down and picked the pair of pliers Finn had used to cut off his ties and sauntered towards Murphy, but alarmed, Finn stepped in front of Bellamy to stop him.

"Wait, no!" Finn shouted. "What are you doing?"

Bellamy looked at him, but didn't respond. Quickly, he moved forward and cut Murphy out of his ties, yanking him up by his shoulder so that he could move with them. Though Bellamy cut the part of the tie that kept Murphy to the wall, he made sure to keep Murphy's hands bound so that he couldn't try anything with them.

"He's coming with us," Bellamy growled.

"No way," Finn disagreed.

"He's been to the Grounder prison camp."

"He's right," Murphy added, seeing the look of concern and reluctance on Finn's features. "Okay? I can take you there."

"Hey, Sterling just signaled. Someone's coming," Monroe informed the three men inside of the chamber as she watched Sterling signal that someone was getting close.

"Let's go," Calix demanded as he and Monroe split so that Murphy, Bellamy, and Finn could follow, and there was nothing that Finn could do to get Bellamy to stop with the terrible idea he had to bring Murphy along. Running out of time, all Finn could do was turn on his heel and run out of the room with Bellamy and Murphy close behind. Once they were in the clear and outside the camp lacking the proper security, Bellamy spoke.

"I don't think anyone saw us."

"Shh," Finn hissed. "Keep it down!"

No one said anything after that. Finn and Calix led the group as they rounded a few bushes and eventually came into facing two flashlights that emerged from the bushes a few yards away. Everyone came to a slow as a dark-skinned guard and Abby Griffin stepped out, shining their flashlight on the teenagers. But Finn and Calix were far from surprised.

"You're late," Abby reprimanded them.

Without tearing his eyes from Dr. Griffin, Finn replied, "Bellamy decided to bring company."

"He's the only person who's been in their camp," Bellamy defended his decision. The Guard looked at Abby for her first move, but the doctor just moved forward, extending her gun to Finn with the barrel pointed down. Finn took it immediately, and while he made sure that the magazine was loaded, Abby handed Calix an extra magazine for his own gun that he had been issued being a member of Kane's Guard. The Guard beside Abby looked up at Bellamy after taking one of his guns off his shoulder and handing it to him.

"Here," said the Guard. "Find my son. His name is Nathan Miller."

Dr. Griffin surveyed her rescue team. "Bring them home."

* * *

Alessia found Clarke sitting in a chair in the corner of the mess hall, her head hung as she stared at the map of Mt. Weather she had drawn on to try and find a route that would allow them to escape. Around her, all of their people were indulging in good, clean fun as there was soft pop music playing in the background as noise for them to talk over.

Walking over to Clarke, Alessia grimaced at her. "You're moping."

"I know." Clarke took the map in her hand and wadded it up angrily into a paper ball before tossing it over her shoulder. Alessia watched as a distressed expression crossed Clarke's features, but Alessia tried to make it better.

"You know, I think that's called littering," she tried light-heartedly. But Clarke, with cold, disinterested eyes, looked up at Alessia unamused. Alessia's mouth twitched down into a frown, but just as she was about to try and lighten Clarke's mood, there was a distinct name that caught their attention behind Alessia.

"Langston," one of the soldiers in Mt. Weather began as a blotchy man in the same uniform crossed his path. Both Alessia and Clarke recognized the name almost instantly. "Where you going, man? Tonight's movie night."

"I've gotta pass," said Sergeant Langston. "Doc says I got one more treatment."

"Who...?" Alessia trailed off and watched as Clarke's eyes widened at the man that she had before seen covered in radiation. Now, he looked ten times better, only a few blotchy patches on his skin from the contamination from outside. The man passed the two girls with merely a glance, and Clarke turned her head over her shoulder to follow the man with her eyes.

"How in the hell can that be possible?" Clarke whispered.

"Is that the man with the burns?" Alessia asked. Clarke stood up from her chair and started to walk, and Alessia followed her without missing a beat. Clarke nodded as they started to follow the man.

"Yeah. But he was _covered _in them, Alessia. Covered," she whispered quietly. Alessia shook her head.

"I don't understand."

"Yeah. Neither do I," Clarke muttered. They followed Langston to an elevator outside of the mess hall, but there was a key card that had to be swiped in order to use it.

"We need a key card to get into Medical, then," Alessia mumbled, a plan forming in her mind. Clarke turned around at Alessia after a moment with an already formed plan, beating her to the punch.

"I need to get in there."

"Okay...but without a key card, Dr. Tsing said only patients are allowed in medical."

"Then I'll become a patient," Clarke replied easily. Alessia cocked an eyebrow, but Clarke shook her head. "The less you know, the better. I want you to go back to the mess hall and once you hear that I'm in Medical, I want you to go to Dante and make him let you inside to see me."

"Clarke—"

"Just trust me," Clarke pleaded, but she didn't give Alessia much time to think about it. Instead, she walked off to perform whatever part of her plan that would let her into Medical, leaving Alessia alone and idle, something that she hated being. With a huff, she walked back to the mess hall and begrudgingly obliged Clarke's wishes. Twenty long, boring minutes passed, but there was no word from anyone about what Clarke said there would be word of. Alessia had finally ended up settling on the chair that Clarke had been sitting in earlier, her leg impatiently tapping against the floor and the nail of her thumb in her mouth. It was a disgusting habit that she hated, but she just couldn't quit it.

"Got something on your mind?" Alessia looked up to see Cage approach her for the second time, and though she managed to force a smile out to him, the only thing she could think in her mind was: _God, doesn't this guy have a life? _

Alessia cleared her throat. "Just...thinking, that's all. I'm a bit bored."

"It's movie night," Cage suggested. She laughed at him.

"Something tells me you're not the kind of guy that would participate in those kinds of things..."

"You would be right." To her disgust, she watched his eyes do that strange thing where he looked her from head to toe as if marking his prey. The bile threatened in her throat again, but this time, instead of it being because of a dead body, it was because of Cage Wallace. "I prefer hands-on activities."

The bile threatened again, but she was as good of a liar as she was a shooter. She forced a sparkle into her eyes.

"Such as?"

* * *

Alessia tried not to complain, tried not to vomit, and tried not to discourage Cage as he forced her up against the wall of the secluded hallway and kissed her hard. Regardless of the fact that the very thought of him kissing her made her want to throw up all over the concrete, underground flooring, she really didn't like it. But she kept telling herself over and over again in her head: _you have to get out of here; you have to find Bellamy._

It was the only thing that kept her from punching him when he grabbed her ass like it was made of money. She shifted in his arms, trying to pull herself up so it was less uncomfortable for her, but she had to keep it going as long as she could. Cage was the dominant type; she could definitely sense that. But unfortunately—or, maybe fortunately—for him, she hated being the one that wasn't in control. With the strength she possessed, the flipped the tables and turned them so that Cage was pressed up against the wall instead of her as she kissed him, trying to wash out the thought that it was...well, _him. _

He forced her mouth open with his and she hated the way he kissed her with a passion so blinding that it eclipsed her disgust for what she was doing and she managed to heatedly kiss him without thinking about it. When she was sure that Cage was too invested to expect the unexpected, she finally was able to end it just as quickly as it had began.

Alessia pulled her knee up and hit Cage right where it hurt, causing him to rip his lips from hers and double over in an intense amount of pain. As he bent over and groaned, she pulled her knee up again and knocked him right in the face, surely breaking his nose, and with a hard shove into the wall, she listened as Cage grunted and collapsed on the floor, falling unconscious in the middle of the hallway. Alessia breathed heavily over him.

"And I did all that with a goddamn broken wrist," she muttered to his unconscious body before furiously wiping off her mouth with the back of her hand, her toes curling at the intense repulsion she felt from the taste of him still in her mouth. "Gah! That was beyond gross. Ugh."

Bending down onto her knees, Alessia hunted through Cage's jacket pockets, her nose still wrinkled at her horrendous act, until finally she managed to get her hands on a little card that she knew would grant her access to every facility in the entire mountain, being that Cage was Dante's son. It was her plan from the beginning; and if Clarke had only been patient enough, she could've had the key in her hand hours before. But no, Clarke wanted to be difficult.

It didn't matter. With her eyes cautious and alert, Alessia pushed Cage's body against the wall and left him there, where he was sure not to wake up until she was finished getting answers.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**Momsen-xxxx: **I KNOW :( It's so sad! I'm gonna miss her too but it was time for her to go. Yes, Cage has a crush on Alessia...and then he got crushed by Alessia in this chapter lol.

**Aileen O'Neill: **Well I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading it!

**thebluefeather: **Thank you. Yes, there will be a little bit of a love triangle but as I've said before, Alessia won't be annoying about it. It'll be over pretty quickly. Thanks for reviewing!

**pureO: **She's a classy girl :) I mean, she's Marcus's daughter so she's got to have some sense of style, right? I mean...basically, they were each other's _only _friend, which makes them best friends. They will definitely be at odds finding out about both their histories with Alessia and it won't be fun. It makes me sad because I like their friendship but it's for the sake of the story. Clarke and Alessia are besties and it's wonderful. That last part in 2x01 was meant to kind of confirm what Alessia told Finn in 1x06 about Clarke just looking at her and knowing what was wrong. Yeah it'll be really unfortunate but I might end up bringing in another character later for him. Thank you!

**Marloweee1856: **Thanks! Shelley Hennig is wonderful for Alessia and yeah, I wish she was on the show, too, but like I've said before, I would have nothing to write about :P Aw yeah Margot's death pained me too it was a very sad parting but it had to be done. Alessia and Cage are definitely going to be at odds all season, especially after what she did in this episode. He will obviously come to hate her for what she did in this chapter and that'll be an explicit problem in 2x16. No apologies necessary! Long reviews are inspiring to read. Thanks for reviewing and here's the next chapter!

**WinchesterDixonBros: **Alessia never told Bellamy what the name of her boyfriend was and no one thought to mention it to him because...well, no one saw a need to, and as it's said in this chapter, Bellamy thought that Calix was just kicked out of the guard because what happened was, in order to have Calix pardoned, the story was twisted so that Alessia 'confessed' to the crime alone and therefore no one knew about Calix's involvement. No, he would definitely not be as friendly lol. Thanks for reviewing!

**TheDysfuctional: **And again! They needed to have a heart-to-heart about Margot. I didn't want her character going down without some closure. Here's some more for you! Thanks for the review!

**queenmargaerys: **Thank you! Murphy's reaction was painfully funny because Bellamy's sitting there all speechless and hurt and Calix has no idea what's going on and Murphy's just like "HA YOU SUCKERS!" and I don't know, I just keep picturing his face in my head and in makes my day. Anyways, thanks for the review! Here's the update.

**katiesgotagun: **Calix won't go with Bellamy to Mt. Weather, and this will give Alessia and Calix some time to come to terms with how their relationship stands. Yep because she's a badass and you can't be badass without running in heels :) Thanks for reviewing!

**Guest: **Thank you!

**Iwannabelikeme: **Cage definitely harassed her, but she saw it more as an opportunity and used it to her advantage. Yeah, Bellamy having a friend might seem a little strange, but you know, they don't really touch on Bellamy's life back on the Ark other than what happened to Octavia and he couldn't...not have friends, you know? He strikes me as the kind of guy who would have a lot of friends...up until he became a janitor of course, but the thing about Calix and Bellamy's friendship is that basically they're just each other's only true friend. They've got a bit of a bromance. Calix kept it from Bellamy because he didn't want to betray Alessia by telling someone else; especially since Bellamy was on the Guard with him. Kane is definitely going to be talking to Alessia about it in the future and it's definitely going to be...awkward, more or less. After all, he'd only gotten used to one guy, not two. But even in the show, Bellamy makes Kane somewhat proud, and that won't be lost in the story. Thanks for the review!

**A: **Thank you! Alessia will definitely be shocked that's for sure. Yes, the plot does thicken! Aw thank you that means so much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**LovelyFandomLover: **Thank you. Right in the feels :) No they were definitely best friends. It would be too insignificant if they were just acquaintances because the fact that Alessia feels something for the both of them, that has to have an effect on the two of them as well. But I don't think Bellamy would ever really use the term 'best friend' so yeah. Even though this thing with Alessia will put a strain on things, Bellamy and Calix will definitely be having interactions in episodes 3 and 4 that won't concern Alessia. Bellamy's too proud to bring Alessia up. Thank you!

**Skylar97: **Thanks! I updated it :) Their reunion will kind of be...in between, I guess. It won't be 'spectacular' only because that's not the kind of people Alessia and Kane are. It's going to be a very sweet and meaningful moment between a father and a daughter. Haha no I'm actually writing as I go. If I had episodes queued up, they would be updated at the same time every week because I'm not mean enough to keep everyone waiting. But since I write as I go, I might not get around to it as quickly as I'd like. Alessia will be...around Clarke, but she won't really be 'with' Clarke in the sense that she strongly disagrees with what Clarke's doing with Lexa. I don't think she's going to gain new friends...I mean, I can't really see who she would become friends with. Clarke parts? I mean, she and Clarke will definitely be interacting of course because they're going to escape the mountain together and blah, blah, blah, all that good stuff. I wish I could update every other day but sadly I can't. #hastagsarecool THANK YOU! :)


	16. Reapercussions

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Reapercussions**

Alessia waited until everyone within ten feet of the entrance to the patient medical exam room were out of sight before she exposed herself out into the open and walked towards the door with her built-in stealth. She had been anxiously waiting for a siren to blare and for someone to set out a 'Code 5' alert as they had before when Clarke had stolen Maya's key card. Alessia knew it would come, she was just blind to when. She didn't know how long she'd managed to subdue Cage and she didn't want to stick around to find out. She and Clarke had to find a way out of Mt. Weather before then.

As Alessia walked a long, desperate thirty seconds to the door on the other side of the hallway, herself exposed to all who came at her, she tried not to panic. Calm, cool, collective. The three C's. She kept a hard face, hard focus, and didn't even dare to blink twice. One wrong move and it was over, but she wouldn't let it get that far. There was a guard coming at her was distracted by something coming over his radio, something that Alessia couldn't quite make out.

But she was nearly five feet away from the door when she sensed the guard come into view. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide in the empty space unless she ran back to her corner and hoped the guard who was rounding the hallway didn't see her as she tried to move back to her original position. It was a risk she couldn't take. She walked the five feet she had left at a brisk pace, waving the key card in front of the heavy door and watching as the blinker turned from red to green and the door unlocked. Just as she managed to slip inside, she could hear the person on the other end of the guard's radio.

_"Attention all security members, there is a Code 5 in effect. Repeat, there is a Code 5 in effect. Please do not alarm any civilians. Be aware of Alessia Kane, one of The 48. If found, arrest and notify over communication. Kane's description is as follows: dark hair, brown eyes...extremely violent and dangerous..."_

Alessia held her breath as the guard walked past the patient room briskly so that he could go and take care of the Code 5. Alessia leaned against the white door and took a deep sigh, relieved, but when she turned back to the patient room, expecting to see Clarke, she ended up finding nothing but Sergeant Langston lying next to an unmade bed in a yellow hospital gown. She walked over to the official and gave him a once-over.

"Burns...the burns, they...healed..." Alessia mumbled. After taking a moment for herself, she shook her head and confused as ever, she eyed the dialysis shunt that Dr. Tsing had mentioned earlier at the demonstration she had given to Alessia and Clarke pertaining to Shaw's corpse. Her eyes followed the shunt to a machine hooked up to all the beds, and she followed the thick, dark red line of blood from the machine all the way across the left side of the room to a large door behind her. It was a metal door, gated and crossed with wires and fitted with a silver card-reading lock beside it and a gated circular hole looking into the room that no person, unless they were at least six feet tall, would be able to peer inside. With severe determination, Alessia turned around at the door, swiped Cage's card over the reader, and heard the clicking sound of the lock. As she pushed the door open to let herself inside, the first thing she spotted when she entered was Clarke bracing someone up by her side. Clarke breathed heavily at her, almost relieved.

"Alessia?" Clarke huffed, almost a question but also an exclamation of surprise. Alessia stepped forward and looked around the dark room, where she spotted cages with dark figures shoved inside. She was beyond confused.

"So much for waiting for me in medical..." Alessia muttered under her breath, but eventually moved onto look into Clarke's eyes. "What the hell is this place? Who is that? I can't see shit in here..." The person in Clarke's arms lifted her head in just the slightest, catching the dim light in the room, and just as Alessia squinted at the person, she realized who it was. Her face turned from confounded to utterly pissed. "Oh. So Grounder bitch didn't die?"

"Alessia, please," Clarke begged. "We need to get out of here."

"Yeah, we do. Drop the dead weight and let's get on with it." Alessia held up a key card in her hand. "I've got the master key."

"How the hell did you get that?" asked the blonde, her eyes widening. Alessia frowned.

"Maybe if we'd decided to go with my plan, you would know. Clarke, I'm serious. Throw her back in her cage. We need to move."

"Anya comes with us," the other teenager argued. Alessia opened her mouth to protest, but Clarke stopped her. "We don't have time to argue, okay? We'll figure this out later, let's just go!"

"Fine!" Alessia groaned as she stepped forward and helped Anya herself, swinging the Grounder bitch's arm across her shoulder tentatively so they could all move to the door to the right that read _End Containment Area. _It seemed like a good enough place to start. Once inside the room, both Alessia and Clarke realized that all they'd done was step from a large, darkly lit, blue-colored room into a small, brighter, orange-colored one. The moment they entered the room, the moment the door shut behind them, not by the fault of anyone behind it but for reasons they couldn't explain. Clarke rushed up to the door to try to get it open while Alessia pushed Anya off of her and let the Grounder fend for herself for a while. Suddenly, a yellow light beamed across the room as a blaring noise was sounded.

"What is that?" asked Anya as she looked around the room, just as clueless at the two beside her. Clarke stepped back to stand beside Alessia. Her head turned, and both the blonde and the brunette looked at each other in intense confusion as they listened to the blaring sounds in their ears. Clarke opened her mouth.

"I don't—ahhh!"

The ground beneath them gave way, and suddenly, the three of them were temporarily weightless as their bodies smashed against a cold hard metal and nothing they could do could stop their bodies from sliding down a dark chute into an unknown location. Clarke's surprised yelp became distant as, in just a few moments after their involuntary transport, Clarke, Alessia, and Anya ended up landing in a cold cart that surprisingly had broke their fall.

"Shit!" Alessia hissed under her breath as she forced herself on her elbows, but instead of feeling what she expected to feel—the bottom of the cart-like structure they'd been tossed into—she felt the odd touch of something that resembled flesh. But it couldn't be flesh, could it? It only took one exclamation from Clarke to realize that her estimation was correct, however disturbing it was. Clarke attempted to crawl out of the cart, disgusted by the bodies inside of it while Anya, either brave or just plain morbid, searched the cart with wandering hands, looking at the dead corpses inside of the cart as if she knew the people. Alessia followed Clarke's pursuit to get the hell out of the crate they were launched in, and regardless of how weak she felt trying to get out of a crate twenty times the size of her, she managed to do so. Right when she thought Clarke would be smart and leave the Grounder bitch behind, she could hear Clarke's annoying demand.

"Anya!" Clarke screamed at the Grounder in the cart. "Take my hand!"

Alessia caught her breath as she jumped onto the ground outside of the cart and felt her shoe crack. With a hefty sigh, she reached down and pried her high heel off her sweaty foot and observed the broken heel with an emotionless expression. As Clarke pulled Anya out of the crate with her, Alessia pulled off the other shoe on her foot and threw them into the crate, having no use for broken shoes. She was just as barefoot as Clarke and Anya were, though she was definitely better dressed. Some would think that meant she was the winner; in all reality, she was the exact opposite.

Clarke was immediately aware of the peeved expression on Alessia's face, and Alessia wasn't about to roll over and take what Clarke was urging at her.

"You should've left her behind," Alessia reprimanded.

"We need her."

"Like hell we need her!" The brunette straightened and stared at her friend with fiery brown eyes. "We don't know where the hell we are! She's been locked in that creepy blood donor jail probably ever since we got kidnapped from the drop ship! She's no use to us, Clarke!"

"It doesn't matter!" Clarke yelled back at her, and all Alessia did was let out a deep breath of the steam she felt rise inside of her from the anger. Clarke swallowed and looked behind Alessia to see a door that looked like one of Mt. Weather's, but from the other side. The blonde raised a sigh of relief. "We're out."

"It's about fucking time," Alessia mumbled under her breath as Clarke caught something out of the corner of her eye and beelined for it.

"Hey!" She rushed forward and knelt beside a pile of clothes that were put up against the wall of the caves they were apparently trapped in. After feeling the clothes, she looked back at Alessia and Anya. "Come on, get dressed. We can't cover any ground like this."

Alessia moved forward to the pile of clothes and took the ones that Clarke pushed at her, but as she did, Anya growled from behind them, "I won't leave my people behind."

Clarke looked at the dirt-covered Grounder, and while leaving Alessia with the clothes, she moved back to Anya at a quickened pace with fastened breaths. "Anya, listen to me. My people are still inside that place, too. But they have guards, they have weapons. Once we get out of here, we can find help. We can come back—!"

"There is no 'we'," Anya snapped at Clarke, cutting her off with the harsh statement. Clarke seemed more disheartened than offended, but just as Alessia waited her irritatingly compassionate friend's response, they could hear voices in the distance. Voices of other people, but not from the guards of Mount Weather. It was different this time, more burly, perhaps. One thing was for sure; it wasn't the men from inside the mountain. Anya looked off into the opening of the cave on the other side of the cart. "Someone's coming."

"We have to get out of here," Alessia pushed as she rose from the ground with a pair of boots in her hand. Instead of listening to her, as Alessia expected, Clarke went towards the voices, walking around Anya to stare into the opening as she listened to the voices coming closer. Suddenly, Clarke's voice dropped to an ominous tone.

"Reapers."

"Reapers?" Alessia repeated, remembering the word from when Clarke and Finn had come back to the camp before Mt. Weather, frightened as hell over what they had been forced to face after escaping the Grounder camp with Lincoln. Bellamy's 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' phrase entered her mind as she stepped forward tentatively and realized the severity of Clarke's words. "Please tell me these are good Reapers. Better Reapers? I'm in no condition for combat right now, Clarke!"

"None of us are," Clarke hissed back, but as she whipped around, she spotted Anya as the warrior limped over to a line of stones over by the right wall of the caves. Anya attempted to pick up one of the stones from the ground, but it was useless. It was too heavy for her. Clarke rushed over to Anya's side and pulled her up gently. "Hey! Anya, you can't fight. You can hardly stand!"

"W-We can try this." Even Alessia didn't believe her words as she swallowed them back and looked around at the two carts they had at their disposal. Clarke locked eyes with her and Alessia tried to look convincing. "The carts, we can use them as weapons. It's all we've got."

"I have got a better idea. Come on," Clarke replied and walked over to the cart opposite to the one they climbed out of. Hiding was her better idea, and though it was an idea that Alessia wasn't particularly used to, she went along with it, subduing the passion Kane instilled in her to always want to fight. She knew when fighting would get her killed, and with the tone Finn had clearly taken on his stance about the Reapers, they were no force to mess with. Fighting would mean getting her killed, and getting her killed would do no good. As Clarke helped Anya into the cart, Alessia hurriedly rushed over to the pile of clothes Clarke had pointed out earlier and she threw everything she could gather in one scoop into the cart. Clarke then helped her into the cart and rolled in last, where she made it just in time to hide from the Reapers that rounded the corner with torches into plain view. All three females kept their breathing to a minimum, stuck to the bottom of the empty cart as if it were made of a substance that would prevent them from being noticed by the Reapers.

Just as the light faded and they believed the Reapers to be gone, the sudden crash of a body into the cart made all of them jump, but for the life of them, no one screamed. The half-dead corpse landed right on top of Alessia, but she didn't move an inch. There was another grunt, after which came another body. This time, the Grounder did not only land on Alessia's abdomen, but over Clarke's head, where the blonde pulled her arms up to protect her skull from any damage that any more bodies could do to her. Alessia tried not to protest to the crushing feeling on her stomach from the half-dead bodies, but it was far from easy. With the demand from a Reaper speaking indistinctly from outside of the cart, Alessia, Anya, and Clarke suddenly felt the crate begin to move on the train tracks they had seen earlier beneath their feet, taking them to the unknown.

* * *

They hadn't stopped to rest since they left Camp Jaha with Abby and Miller's father's help. Finn led the group as they trekked through the forest while the sun beat down on them and lighted their weapons in the early day. Bellamy followed closely behind, listening to Murphy's directions to the prison camp. Without turning back, Bellamy spoke.

"All right, Murphy. Where to now?"

When there was no response, Bellamy stopped in his tracks and looked back at Murphy for further instructions. The killer was still defenseless with his cable ties around his wrists, as no one trusted him enough to cut them after what he had done to everyone in order to get revenge for his near-execution.

But regardless, Murphy was tired of his hands bound together as if he was the prisoner of his own people. Of course, he was, but he didn't like to feel that way when he was so selflessly helping them with their mission to save the rest of the delinquents. While the situation progressed, Sterling and Monroe stood behind Blake and Murphy with their guns pointed at the trees, ready for attack. Calix watched the conversation escalate with minimal understanding to what was actually going on. He, too, stood guard, though it was distractedly.

"Let's say we lose these first, huh?" Murphy suggested. Bellamy frowned.

"No. Again."

"Hey, if we get attacked out here, I have nothing to defend myself with!"

"I don't care," Bellamy told him flatly. To be fair, he wasn't in the best of moods either; something that Murphy knew from first-hand experience. But regardless, Finn, who had stopped on account of the tiff Bellamy and Murphy were having, turned around and used his own knife to cut the cable ties binding Murphy's hands together. Murphy watched as Finn abruptly walked away, moving on right after resolving the issue.

Murphy deadpanned, "Thank you."

"Hey!" Bellamy followed after Finn angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It was your idea to bring him," he replied.

"Yeah, because he's the only one whose seen where the Grounders keep their prisoners."

"Then we probably shouldn't let him be defenseless out here. We can handle Murphy," added Finn shortly. Bellamy scowled at him with disapproval lining his eyes.

"Better hope so." Behind them, Bellamy and Finn could hear Murphy ask Calix for a gun, to which Calix grumbled a backhanded insult that primarily told him to shut the hell up. As Calix handled Murphy behind them, Finn turned back at looked at Bellamy. Although very determined in his mission to find Clarke, Finn was also well aware of the situation going on around him.

Mostly aloof, Finn began, "Did you know? About...Alessia and Calix?"

Bellamy looked around the forest, his gun positioned tough in his hand as he looked around for Grounder activity on high alert. He didn't want to talk about it, so he tried to remain just as distant as Finn was.

"Not until a few hours before you two broke us loose."

"He said you two were friends on the Ark." Finn turned to Bellamy while they moved forward briskly. "He didn't even mention it once?"

The dark-haired leader scoffed. "What, you think we braided each other's hair and talked about our sex lives? I think you have the whole gender thing confused. We sat around and talked about how much we hated Kane and hated Jaha. That's it. And for the record, I don't have _friends_."

Finn ignored Bellamy's bitterness and continued, "But Alessia never mentioned it to you?"

"She never said his name. How the hell was I supposed to know? She didn't like to talk about it."

"Doesn't. _Doesn't_ like to talk about it. She's not dead, Bellamy. No one is dead," Spacewalker snapped at him, earning Bellamy's attention. Bellamy could see the urgency in Finn's eyes. It was an urgency he hadn't seen before, and Bellamy knew it was an urgency to find Clarke. A sickening feeling churned inside of Bellamy as he realized that the urgency he saw in Finn's eyes was desperation to find the woman that he loved.

God, he hoped he didn't look like that.

* * *

None of them had a clue how long they'd been in the cart, lying completely motionless. However long it was, the cart eventually came to a stop, and when it did, two Reapers appeared overhead. Alessia didn't see them, for she kept her eyes closed so that they wouldn't look directly into her pupils, and she held her breath as she felt one of the crushing bodies lifted off of her and off of Clarke. The Reapers moved away, and after they did, there was a piercing scream in the air and sounds of a knife ripping through flesh. Clarke lifted herself stealthily from underneath the second body covering Alessia and she managed to peer out of the cart to observe the situation around them. Her eyes witnessed the act she had seen once before: the band of Reapers tearing away at the flesh of the half-dead Grounder that had been crushing Alessia's windpipe. Quickly, Clarke turned back to the cart and silently grunted prying the half-dead body off of Alessia, rolling the Grounder onto his stomach, and she grabbed Alessia's hand while looking at Anya. Alessia opened her eyes at last and blinked a few times before fully getting adjusted to the situation.

"Come on," Clarke urged Anya as she and Alessia moved to get out of the cart again. Anya, though weak and in clear immediate danger, got onto her knees and put her hands around the Grounder's face beside her. Clarke turned back around as she witnessed Anya disobey her demands. With a sharp hiss, Clarke scolded, "_What _are you doing? Let's go!"

Anya didn't respond. Instead, she looked down at the near-dead Grounder and grumbled a sentence in the foreign language the Grounder's spoke. After the words were said, Anya snapped the Grounder's neck without fail, a single cracking sound in the wake of the Grounder's demise. Afterwards, Anya wasted no time. Alessia climbed out of the cart while Clarke followed and Anya tossed the clothing out onto the ground so they could change before their escape. They headed down the first opening they saw in the caves and didn't look back.

* * *

It was a while before Finn, Bellamy, Calix, Sterling, Monroe, and Murphy had movement to react to. So far, they hadn't run into any Grounders, but as the day progressed and as the sun moved across the sky, they finally came to where Murphy had led them to find Grounders shuffling around in the bushes. Instantly, Murphy, who had been the first to spot the activity, hissed at them all to get out of sight.

"Everybody down! Get down!" Murphy whisper-hissed as he gripped Bellamy's shoulders and forced him behind a fallen tree log that shielded them from being spotted by the Grounders. "This is it." He looked at Bellamy. "Told you I'd find it."

Bellamy didn't respond. Instead, he raised his gun on his shoulder and pulled his eye to the eyepiece to look through it and observe as the Grounders sifted through junk. "I see nothing but Grounders." Finn snatched a gun from Sterling and used it to look through the eyepiece as well to substitute binoculars. "Our people aren't here."

"Wait a minute," Finn stopped him. "They've got stuff from our drop ship."

"The seatbelts," Calix inferred as he observed the Grounders picking through a bunch of red seatbelts that looked as if they belonged to some kind of ship from the Ark, no doubt. Bellamy realized it, too, and nodded.

"So maybe they know where our friends are."

"Yeah, or maybe they killed them already," Murphy added pessimistically.

"Son of a bitch," Finn suddenly whispered. Bellamy's head snapped over at him.

"What is it?"

"The guy with the one eye." Bellamy moved his eyepiece to run over the Grounder with one normal eye and another just a patch of skin. "Around his neck."

"What am I looking at?" He could see a watch, but he didn't know what it meant. Turning over to Finn, Bellamy said the words and watched as Finn's head snapped over at him without wasting a single second. Finn's determined eyes narrowed as he said the words darkly.

"He's got Clarke's watch." Finn turned back to the gun and added, "It was her father's."

"She wouldn't give that up without a fight," commented Bellamy with low hopes.

"Neither will we."

"There's something tucked on his waistband," Calix murmured to Finn and Bellamy as he stared at the Grounder through the magnification piece intently, knowing there was some significance. Both Finn and Bellamy observed what Calix noted. "What the hell is that?"

"Robin Hood's journal," Bellamy answered as he pulled away from the gun with the image of the small book freshly implanted in his head. He said the words with a sour taste in his mouth and watched as Calix turned back at him with raised eyebrows.

"Robin Hood? Who the hell is Robin Hood?"

"Your girlfriend, that's who," Murphy muttered to Calix, trying to bite back a scoff. Murphy let his eyes look over at Bellamy. "And we all know precious Robin Hood would've put up an even bigger fight than the Princess."

"Okay," Bellamy began just after Murphy's statement finished. He looked over at Finn and Calix. "Calix, Finn, you're with me. Monroe, Sterling, you two stay here; out of sight. If anything goes south, take out the other Grounders but don't shoot the Grounder with the watch. Copy?"

"Copy," Monroe and Sterling both agreed at the same time as Finn handed Sterling his gun back.

"What about Murphy?" asked Monroe, looking to the unarmed killer with them. Murphy looked at Bellamy bitterly.

"Yeah, do I get a gun now?"

"Something like that." Bellamy yanked Murphy up by his collar and the four of them, with backs hunched over to keep from being detected, moved to carry out their trap for the Grounder with one eye. They had Murphy sit behind a tree near the Grounder with one eye and gave him two rocks, which he banged together to make a soft clanking noise. The Grounder heard the clacking after a moment or two, and he moved forward with the upmost caution, expecting them. Once the Grounder was seen to be heading to the tree and was close enough, Calix yanked Murphy into the bushes where he was hiding and Finn, Calix, Murphy, and Bellamy all stayed quiet as the Grounder was drawn out from the rest of the Grounder pack he was in. Once alone, Bellamy came up behind the Grounder and knocked him over the head with his gun. The Grounder fell onto the ground with a thud. Murphy, Calix, Finn, and Bellamy gathered around the body stealthily as Finn ripped off the watch from the Grounder's neck and Calix removed the small journal from the waistband. Bellamy looked up at Finn.

"We need to take him somewhere quiet."

Finn nodded. "I know just the place."

* * *

"Damn it! This place is a maze!" Clarke cursed as she, Alessia, and Anya came to a slow at a curve she felt like they had been around at least twice before. Clarke slipped on a jacket over her shoulders, feeling more comfortable in the dirty, odorous clothes than she did in the breezy hospital gown she was wearing before. Alessia only had to change a few items of her wardrobe to be able to move properly, and Anya just slipped a jacket and a pair of pants over her white attire that the sickos in Mt. Weather had prepared her in so that she could be a live, involuntary blood donor. As Clarke moved to go forward, she heard Anya slow down behind her and start to cough.

"What are they doing to us?" Anya asked.

"Who cares?" Alessia huffed as she caught her breath. Ignoring her, Clarke turned around and flipped her hair out of her jacket.

"They used your blood. I saw a soldier come in with radiation burns. Hours later, he was fine. It's like your blood was healing him somehow. I've never seen anything like it," she breathed.

"We can talk science later. Those freaks are coming after us so let's get out of here before we turn into their midday snack, okay?" Alessia snapped at the two of them as she moved past Clarke to try to find a way out of the maze-like caves. She could feel Clarke behind her, but when Clarke saw that Anya wasn't following them but rather turning towards where they had come from, Clarke turned around, delaying Alessia's urgency. Regardless, Alessia walked off and hoped that Clarke would follow her. They didn't have time to babysit the whining Grounder, it was just a simple fact. If Clarke wanted to do it, that was fine. But Robin Hood was done taking the Princess's orders, even if said Princess was supposedly her best friend.

She didn't listen to anyone, least of all Clarke. So she continued, searching desperately for an exit. Then again, she had never been good at solving mazes.

* * *

After the Grounder had been secured, Finn, Calix, Sterling, Monroe, Murphy, and Bellamy all gathered in the underground bunker that Finn had kept from the rest of the 100. They had wasted countless breaths trying to get information out of the Grounder with one eye, and everyone in the group was tired of the vague, unresponsive answers that the Grounder gave them.

"We're gonna do this again," Bellamy began as he sauntered forward to the Grounder. "And this time, you're gonna stop screwing with us! Where did you find the watch and the journal?" he asked, gesturing towards Finn and Calix, who each had the item of the teenager they were most desperate to find in their palm. The Grounder gritted his teeth.

"I told you, I found it outside your camp."

"He's lying," Finn growled. "She would never take it off voluntarily!"

"I know," Bellamy assured him and looked at the journal. It was the same deal as Clarke; Alessia never would've left the journal voluntarily. She knew how hard it was to find a pen and paper and Bellamy knew that she couldn't live without venting for more than two days, if that. As Bellamy stared at the journal, he watched it float away when Calix walked over to the corner of the bunker behind the Grounder and eyed it with curiosity. Disappointed, Bellamy tore his eyes from the book and looked back at the Grounder, who was staring at Finn.

"Where is the girl who was wearing this watch?!" Finn shouted.

"I never saw a girl," repeated the Grounder.

"Another lie," Murphy chimed from beside them. He looked at Bellamy. "I mean, maybe you should stop asking him nicely..."

"Shut up, Murphy!" Blake snapped. "Where are our friends? You took them, we know you did. Just tell us where!"

"Murphy's right. We're wasting time!" Bellamy looked over and watched as Finn whipped out the weapon in his waistband and stormed over to the Grounder. Surprisingly, he took the gun and struck it down, causing the Grounder to grunt out of pain over Finn's screams asking where he took Clarke. Bellamy restrained him, fighting over Finn's screams.

"Finn! Stop!" Finn began to relax, but he stared at the one-eyed Grounder with a look that could kill. Bellamy tried his hardest to talk him down. "You don't want to do this! Trust me. There are some lines you can't uncross."

When things finally settled down and the attention of the room had been shifted from the Grounder to Finn, Bellamy finally let Spacewalker go and turn around to take a moment to himself. Bellamy hardly expected for Finn to try it again, but low and behold, Finn once again turned around with rage bubbling up inside of him and he struck the Grounder again, this time not relenting.

"Where's Clarke? Where is she?!" Spacewalker yelled as he punched the Grounder repetitively. At this point, Calix rushed over to Finn and helped Bellamy try to settle him down, but the second time, Finn didn't take it. He shoved Bellamy and Calix away, pointing the gun in his hand at Bellamy's hand as he screamed, "Back off!"

Bellamy swallowed and put up his hands. "Put down the gun, Finn."

Finn stared at Bellamy with a look Bellamy had never seen before in Finn's eyes. It was desperation, sure, but it was also so unhealthy rage and insanity that started to creep into his pupils. But Finn didn't want to pull the gun on Bellamy; Bellamy wasn't his enemy. He clocked his gun at the Grounder and threatened this time.

"Three seconds!" The Grounder did not reply. "Two!" No answer. Finn was hesitant to say the last number, but eventually, he snarled, "One—"

"Okay!" the Grounder blurted out. "I'll tell you. Your friends are east of here. The village where we take our prisoners of war."

"East where? How do we get to them?"

"I can draw you a map. But you should hurry. Soon, they'll outlive their usefulness."

Finn removed the gun from the Grounder's head when he was sure he'd gotten all he could out of the one-eyed warrior. He turned to the rest of the people around him and nodded. "Get him something to draw a map."

Monroe stepped forward with a blank piece of paper and a pencil as the room fell completely silent. Everyone stared at Finn, including Bellamy, processing what had just gone on in the room. Murphy rose from his seat and walked over to Bellamy with a sly smile.

"You thought I was the crazy one, huh?"

Murphy turned and walked out, and though Bellamy hated to admit it, it was one of the rare occurrences when Murphy happened to be right. Needing a break from the psychopathic Finn he'd witnessed, without a single word, Bellamy walked to the ladder leading up to ground and he climbed it to leave the bunker for a few moments for fresh air, leaving the rest of the people inside of the bunker wondering if Bellamy was okay. Once Bellamy was on the ground, he let himself take a deep breath and collected his troubles, wiping his mouth with his hand and taking a moment to process things. He was happy to have the silence, but it was short-lived when someone else opened the door of the bunker. Bellamy turned around and watched as Calix climbed out of the underground pit and closed the door. He still had the journal in his hand, gripped so tightly, as if he was afraid it'd get lost.

"You okay?" Calix asked. Short, sweet, to the point. Bellamy crossed his arms.

"Finn's not usually...like that."

"He wants Clarke back," he rationalized. Blake scoffed.

"We all want people back, Mercer. But Finn? Torturing a Grounder to get Clarke back...it's just not who he is. He gave me shit when I tortured the one who kidnapped my sister, but the moment Clarke gets kidnapped—"

"Clarke, Alessia, the rest of your friends...what the hell does it matter?" Calix snapped. Bellamy ran his tongue over his teeth and dropped his arms as Calix continued. "He's willing to do whatever it takes. _I'm _willing to do whatever it takes, so are you. That's why we escaped in the first place, to find them. Right?"

Bellamy found it painful as he looked at his friend. He looked at Calix and knew there was no possible chance in hell that he could know about what happened between him and Robin Hood, which only made it ten times worse. He didn't feel guilty; that wasn't the right word at all. He felt cheated, like it wasn't his place to want Alessia back when it clearly was. But on the other hand, it would all just be easier if he pretended like the past month never happened. Every rule he had broken could stay unbroken...no one would have to know about it.

Blake sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, whatever." He was silent for a moment but looked down at the journal in Calix's hand and shifted back into a defensive stance. "Good reading?"

Calix raised his eyebrows and followed Bellamy's eyes to the journal in his hand. Realizing what the question meant, Calix shifted. "Oh...I...I wouldn't know. I've been thinking opening it but I just feel..." He looked up at Bellamy, searching for the right word. "..._weird_ about it, you know? I mean, she always kept a journal. I knew that. She told me that she would kill me if I ever read it but maybe...it could tell us where they went."

"I doubt it," Bellamy mumbled. Calix shrugged.

"You're probably right, which is why I shouldn't read it." Calix tapped the journal against his hand for a few moments, his palms shaking, before he eventually shook his head over and over again and stepped forward, shoving it at Bellamy. "Take it, Blake. If I hold it in my hand for another second, I'm gonna want to look inside and...I don't want to do that. It's not right. Just hold onto it until I get her back."

Bellamy stared at the journal, but he had no choice other than to take it. He took it with a hesitant hand, but nevertheless, it was in his hand. Calix let out a sigh of relief and Bellamy just stared at the journal, the tempt on him. At last, Calix turned back to the bunker door.

"Okay. I'm gonna go back down." Bellamy looked up at him as Calix asked, "You coming?"

"Uh...no," Blake decided after a moment's thought. He shifted uncomfortably and lowered his hand that was holding the journal. "I'm just gonna stay up here for another minute, you go back down. I'll be right there."

"Suit yourself." With a shrug, Calix descended the bunker's ladder again and closed the opening on the way down. Bellamy was left standing in the middle of the forest, alone but still armed, only to his thoughts. Calix's words came through his head: it wouldn't be right to read Alessia's journal. Bellamy shouldn't _want _to look inside Alessia's journal. He should want to be as noble as Calix, to turn away from it and decide not to invade her privacy.

Then again, he wasn't noble. Far from it.

So he opened the old, crispy journal that Alessia had gotten from the bunker when Murphy was hunting Charlotte down and he sat down on the rock outside the bunker's door as he flipped through the pages. Alessia's chicken scratch, most likely similar to Kane's, was all over the pages, detailing her entire life down on Earth. He passed a few mentions of him, mostly in passing that didn't really matter at all.

Until he came to one section, written the day after her slept with Raven. The day that she locked herself in the third level of the drop ship and hid from him.

_Bellamy's an ass. _

_I know. I've mentioned it a few times, but this time, it's really true. Or, at least, I'm trying to convince myself of it. You know, this is the part about it that bothers the shit out of me. I can't hate him. My entire being refuses to hate him and I don't understand what the problem is. There were times when I really, truly hated my father. And I know Bellamy's absolutely no different. _

_Except...goddamn it, I think he might be. _

_Yesterday, before he slept with Raven, I tried to talk to him about Calix. I tried to get him to understand that I didn't regret any part of what had happened because, regardless of the turnout, I had someone to love. I could tell someone that I have loved deeply in my 17 years in space. But when I asked him if that was how he felt when he loved someone...he looked at me with these eyes and I just knew that I asked a terrible question to him. He's never been in love; I realize that now. The way he reacted makes me believe it. I think he's trying to make me hate him, but it just doesn't work. _

_Because, somewhere, deep down, I think that I..._

Bellamy shut the journal as fast as he came upon the dangerous words. He didn't want to see it. He didn't want to even think about it. What the hell was she thinking? How could she be thinking such a terrible thing like that? It wasn't fair to anyone; not to her, not to him...especially not to him. But though he felt a rage come up inside of him thinking about how she could dare to say something like that, he realized that he had no right to be angry. She wrote that down in confidence that no one would read it. She hadn't said it to him, she didn't mean it.

Bellamy shut his eyes and pretended like what he read never existed. It took a moment, but when he was ready, he put the journal into his jacket and stormed over to the bunker, where he opened the door and descended the ladder, erasing the words from his mind completely.

* * *

Alessia had no idea how long she'd been wondering. She had just been thinking how it was a miracle she hadn't been caught by a Reaper, but just as she did, she had spoken too soon. As Alessia tried to stealthily round a corner, she realized that there was a Reaper standing in the hallway, wheeling an empty cart down the train tracks. She stuck to the wall of her corner, her breathing soft and slow, and she shut her eyes to try and stop herself from panicking again. She waited as the Reaper rolled his cart down the tracks, but as she did, she heard the Reaper's cart get more distant. He was moving the cart the other way, she realized, and let out a relieved breath.

But as she did, she heard the sound of an indistinct growl a few feet from her. Looking in the other direction, she saw that a cart had been coming her way the entire time she'd been worried about the other one, and her eyes grew wider as she realized the Reaper had spotted her dead-on. The Reaper took a pause before attacking her instantly, managing to grab onto her before she could dare to make an escape. Alessia fought him, trying and mostly succeeding at combatting her first Reaper, but she couldn't stay at it for long. She was good, but not that good. Twenty-four hours without sleep and non-stop running and she was about ready to pass out. The Reaper had her slammed against the nearest wall of the cave so fast and hard that the cast around her wrist, the one that the doctors at Mt. Weather had put on her, cracked. It had definitely always been a flimsy cast, and honestly, she wanted to thank the Reaper for doing it. But of course, she didn't do that because the Reaper was trying to kill her.

As Alessia fought against the cracked plaster to try and fight her way out of the Reaper's grasp, she suddenly felt someone come up behind the Reaper and knock it over the head with a stone. Alessia's back slammed against the wall again as the Reaper slid against her shoulder and fell onto the ground with a gush of blood running down the Reaper's forehead. With heavy breathing, Alessia's eyes lifted and she saw Anya standing over her with a rock that was shaking in her arms. Without hesitation, Anya dropped the rock, right onto Alessia's foot.

"Son of a..." Alessia nearly shouted, but managed to keep her voice at a low. She kicked the rock that was under her toe and hissed at the pain for a moment or two before she looked up at the Grounder bitch with hard eyes. "You goddamn—"

"I just saved your life," Anya snapped. Alessia clenched her fists, despite the pain in her broken wrist. "You're welcome."

"I don't need your help, I'm as much of a warrior as you are. Holy fuck that really hurt." Alessia shook her head and, despite the swelling she could feel on her big toe, reached across her arm and ripped off the cast that had been cracked. It wasn't easy, but she managed to break off the plaster and leave it on the train tracks. Anya watched her with disdain and Alessia, hissing at the pain again, lifted her eyes eventually and shook her head at Anya. "Did I stutter, Grounder bitch? I don't need your help. Get the hell away from me."

"I found a way out," Anya told her flatly. Alessia frowned. "Still want me to leave, Sky bitch?"

"Sky bitch?" Alessia murmured as Anya turned away from her and started to walk to where she was going to show Alessia the way out. Alessia huffed. "That's an altered version of _my _nickname. I came up with that. Ugh, whatever. Look, Anya, I have no idea where Clarke went so before we leave, we have to find her."

Anya turned around, annoyed. "We don't have time—"

"I saw everything," said a voice that echoed through the cave. It sounded as if it were coming a tunnel away, and it sounded like it was Clarke. "I know what you're doing to them."

"That's Clarke," Alessia confirmed as she ran off in the direction of the noise. She could feel Anya behind her, and both of them realized what was happening as they came out to the tunnel that had the door entering Mt. Weather. It was where they'd first come out of the disposal, which only meant one thing: Clarke had been caught. Alessia looked at Anya and Anya, though clearly peeved, didn't do anything to stop Alessia as she backed away behind the wall a few feet away from the door. She lost sight of Anya and hoped that the Grounder bitch hadn't left. Even if she had, Alessia could do it. She could fight them herself _and _fight her way out.

As the masked guards took Clarke to the door and communicated inside, Alessia pondered her first move. She could go for the one closest to Clarke and Clarke could go for the one behind her; that would work. But just as she thought of how she was to move, she heard a scream. Anya, sounding like the female version of Tarzan, jumped down and clawed at one of the Mt. Weather guards taking Clarke hostage. As Anya fought one of the Mt. Weather guards, all Clarke had to do was pull off the mask of the one that was beside her. Alessia attacked the other one forming a triangle around Clarke, and she heard Clarke tell Anya the secret to defeating the guard. Anya ripped off the Mt. Weather guard's mask and soon enough, all three of the guards were exposed to radiation in the middle of the caves, left to die for all they cared.

"I found the way out!" Anya yelled at Clarke. "This way!"

"Move, Clarke, move!" Alessia demanded. Clarke sprinted off in the direction that Anya went in, and Alessia reached down to grab one of the guns that one of the guards were wearing. Just as she picked it up and started in the other direction, she could hear the beep from the door behind her telling her that there were more coming out for them. Clarke, Anya, and Alessia all ran, following Anya down the caves to where Anya said she found the way out. The three of them finally came to the opening, but stopped short just before they stepped off.

They were standing at the edge of a cliff, a rush of water beneath their feet. One jump and they were sent into the water; and people in space were never taught the lesson on how to swim.

"Wait!" Clarke yelled. "There has to be another way!"

"There isn't!" Anya told her, yelling back.

"Just give up," said the mountain man as Clarke and Alessia looked back to find that there were three guards with guns pointed at them. "There's no place else to go."

Clarke turned back at Anya, but the Grounder jumped faster than Clarke could say anything to protest. "Anya!" Clarke screamed, but she was already halfway down. Clarke turned to Alessia, who looked at her with widened, defeated eyes.

"Clarke, that fall could _kill _us," Alessia told her with a hard swallow. She knew her limits, and this was every Sky Person's. They didn't know how to swim and the fall alone...the fall alone was risky.

"We don't have to kill you. You hear me? It doesn't have to end like this, Clarke. Alessia." They turned around and watched the mountain men as they pointed guns at them in an attempt to intimidate them out of jumping. It was more the actual jump than their intimidation. "Just surrender! Hands up!"

Clarke and Alessia looked at each other again. Clarke gave her a small nod, and with closed eyes and a deep breath, Alessia dropped the gun in her hand on the ground and they both surrendered their hands. As the guards lowered their weapons and the order was given to arrest them both, Clarke and Alessia turned around, locked hands, and the two of them ran as fast as they could until they fell off the cliff.

Their hands were thrown apart, their legs kicked in the air, and within moments, they both fell helplessly into the cold water.

* * *

Finn pulled the trigger. All of them—Bellamy, Calix, Murphy, Monroe, and Sterling—they all stared at Finn Collins as he stood over the one-eyed Grounder's body with not an ounce of remorse on his face and Clarke's watch fastened securely on his wrist. They'd been arguing whether or not to kill the Grounder they kidnapped, and while Murphy fought for it, it was a split vote; three to three. Finn didn't even cast his vote, he just pulled the trigger and watched the smoking gun with unsympathetic eyes.

And flatly, he looked up at his group and he said to them with cold-blooded eyes. "Let's get moving."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!  
**

* * *

**geminigoddess: **Thank you! Yep she really does. Kane would definitely be proud...or, well, we'd hope. Thanks for reviewing!

**Momsen-xxxx: **SLAYED BY THE QUEEN. I LOVE IT. Flashbacks are always fun. Murphy and Alessia? I mean...yeah, actually, I could imagine them as friends. Though it would be the type of friends who kick each other's ass but hey, whatever works you know? Thanks for the review!

**Ain'tEasyBeingBreezy: **It's almost here! Well, it depends on which reunion. Bellessia's reunion is the next chapter and so is Calix and Alessia's and Kane and Alessia's will be in the 8th chapter. But nevertheless, we're getting there!

**katiesgotagun: **Thanks! He really is. I love Alessia as a feminist. It's empowering. It'll definitely be worth the wait :) Here's the update!

**Marloweee1856: **The finale should be awesome. We'll see. I don't know exactly what I want to do for the finale because I just don't know with Season 3. I'm looking to stray a little bit for the lovely Alessia but I also want to make sure I'm doing what's best for the story we'll see. But thank you so much! Here's the update!

**cat-afterlife: **#GoAlessia :)

**blue-lily295: **Cage is creepy. Creepy Cage. Alessia will literally be calling him Creepy Cage because he's Cage and he's creepy. When Calix finds out about Bellamy and Alessia? He'll be angry...ish. He's going to be more insecure about it at the beginning and then...then he and Bellamy are eventually going to come to blows, interrupted by our lovely Robin Hood, who so very kindly tells them to shut the fuck up and grow a pair before she has to make them. Which will be wonderful. Here's the update!

**A: **Murphy's not going to go there. He finds it more hilarious that Calix doesn't know. Alessia did get Cage and it was wonderful! The reunion with who? I don't think any of the reunions are going to be awkward...not even Kane and Alessia. It's not awkward it's more...dramatically pressed, I think. It's a very typical father-daughter response. Or, it will be once I write it. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**Nati1729: **Thank you! Here's the next chapter!

**ambrosesdixon: **Alessia will tell Calix, flat out. I mean, it'll take her a while to get the courage to say it, but she'll tell him that she feels something for Bellamy and she can't forget it. It will be a very difficult hardship for her to have to face because honestly, she doesn't want to be conflicted over two guys. Who does? I mean, some people might but I wouldn't. It's so much work. She'll have her first reunion with Bellamy though. Adds to the drama, of course.

**WinchesterDixonBros: **Murphy's reaction is my favorite. Well, it's going to be even tougher for Bell in the next few chapters. Alessia's love isn't really limited to past tense. She will be very understandably confused after she finds out Calix is alive. Here's the update! Thanks for reviewing!

**Guest: **I mean I don't think I'm all that good at smut so...no? I mean I try to do as much as I can when writing those types of scenes but I never really go into explicit detail. I push until the brink. Sorry :( Thank you!

**RHatch89: **Yeah sorry it's been a while but here it is! :)

**Guest: **HERE'S THE UPDATE :) GLAD YOU LIKE IT!


	17. Many Happy Returns

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Many Happy Returns**

The water had rushed around her, swallowing her whole and carrying her without reservations or limitations downstream. Neither she nor Clarke could swim, having been raised in a space station, but it was their only option. Over the rushes of water from the river, Alessia lost track of where Clarke had gone and could only manage to keep herself afloat long enough to get air before being forced back under by gravity of the violent stream. The grueling process continued for longer than she should've been able to keep up with, but she was Alessia Kane after all. She fought against the current and desperately tried to get ashore or at least somewhere that she could breathe for more than two seconds. Every time she came up for air, she felt around for anything that she could latch onto. Her eyes were mostly clouded from being underwater so long, and after a while, her body came to feel drained beyond its limits. Just as she could feel herself slow, her limbs refuse, and her mind shut off. Right as she felt everything inside of her want to quit, she could feel something at her fingertips. Something blunt, something rough. Rock.

With all the strength in her body, she flattened her hand on the rock and brought her other hand over to it, lifting herself on her palms and flattening on the rock. The water rushed beneath her as she coughed up all the water in her lungs. The rough surface of the rock no doubt scratched her fresh skin, but she didn't care. She pulled herself all the way up onto the small island and did what she had to do so that she could breathe. After a minute of coughing and gagging up what water she had unintentionally swallowed, she looked around her. She was right in the middle of the river, water on either side of her. The second she got off the rock, she would be under again. Despite the chatter of her teeth from the coldness of the air contrasting against the water on her skin, Alessia became aware of her surroundings and realized that there was a root from a tree that would help her scale the small incline onto land about twenty yards away. All she had to do was get back in the water, force her way over to the other side, and grab the root before the current carried her downstream and swept her up again.

She could do it. Or, at least, she hoped she could. Alessia allotted herself three seconds to catch her breath and be afraid.

_One._

She would be fine. It would all be fine, she just had to grab the root and she'd be fine.

_Two._

Once she was out of the river, she'd find Clarke, ditch Anya, and they could get back to their camp where Spacewalker and Messiah would be happy and healthy and anxiously waiting for their return. Octavia would be at the camp with Lincoln and Raven was probably being tended to by whoever came down in the Ark on the day of the Grounder war. When the greetings were out of the way, they would come up with a kick-ass plan to get rid of the Mountain Men and get their friends out so they didn't become unwilling blood donors, too. It all seemed so simple, so easy. All she had to do was get out of the river.

_Three._

She held her breath and slid back into the water. The stream carried her quicker than she anticipated, but she fought the current with whatever strength she'd gotten from recharging on the rock island. She managed to get her head above water when she felt that she was getting closer to where it was she had been aiming for, and she reached her hand up as high as it could go, her palm waiting to be touched by something...

And there it was. She grabbed the root as quickly as she'd felt it and pulled herself up, stilling her in the water. The stream rushed around her, but she remained untouched, aided by the hanging root. Relieved, Alessia put her hand on the earthy wall by the root and used her feet to scale the chipped side, somehow managing to swing herself up and over the small cliff and onto ground with a hard landing. She could feel her ribs, her poor most likely re-broken ribs, ache and her wrist sting. On top of that, the cut on her hand was throbbing, though it had healed enough for it to be okay out in the open air without the risk of infection. Though her legs were shaking, Alessia managed to stand up, soaking wet, and turned around to the stream to see if she could spot Clarke. She wasn't sure where Clarke was or how long she'd been in the water, so it was impossible to tell where she could be.

"Over there!"

It was a sudden voice that Alessia heard, and paranoid as she was with the Mountain Men looking for her and Clarke, she darted behind a thick tree trunk and held her breath like she did in the water. She could see green lights pass her as the men in gas-masks and hazmat suits patrolled the ground, looking for them. Alessia shut her eyes, praying that they didn't find her, but she realized quickly that the green lights weren't pointed at her. In fact, they didn't even notice her.

When she looked around the bend of the tree trunk, she could see, from the view of the Mountain Men, Clarke and Anya as they crouched down, hiding from whatever sedative the Mountain Men were shooting at them. What was different about them being on the ground and them being in the caves was that Clarke was being pulled by Anya, her hands bound and a belt attached like a leash. The two ran away from the Mountain Men, who chased right after them, never even noticing Alessia behind the tree.

Alessia took in a deep breath as she listened to the shouting behind her. Anya had Clarke. Of course she did. Because they couldn't trust Grounder Bitch, and she told Clarke that from the very beginning. Now she would have to save Clarke.

It was becoming very apparent that there would never be a dull moment in her future for the rest of time.

* * *

"Everyone, eyes peeled," Bellamy instructed grouchily as he, Finn, Murphy, Calix, Monroe, and Sterling ran like hunchbacks through the forest, their weapons hot and ready for combat. "We're in Grounder territory."

"Everything is Grounder territory, all right?" Murphy snarled as he came to a halt, trying to catch his breath. Bellamy and Finn both stopped hearing the complaint and looked back at their problem. "I can't keep running, all right? We don't even know if the guy Finn killed is telling the truth!"

Finn hurried forward and gripped Murphy's jacket shoulder. "Keep moving!"

Bellamy stopped him. "We can give him a minute."

"No, we can't!" Finn told their leader exasperatedly as he released Murphy and turned to argue with Bellamy. "You heard what the Grounder said! They'll outlive their usefulness."

"I heard what he said when you had a gun to his head!"

Finn narrowed his eyes, but it was more of a hurtful expression than an angry one. "Look, you think I wanted to do that? He would've told his people we're coming and by the time we got there, our people would be dead. Maybe that's something you can live with, but I can't!"

He pushed Bellamy to get out of his way, but with a quick recoil, Bellamy snapped, "Hey! You did what you thought you had to do. But you are not yourself right now and I can't be out here with another lose cannon."

"Stop," Calix demanded the two of them as he walked forward and brushed past both Finn and Calix, his sights set on something beyond them. Everyone hushed, and they could hear the sound of the soft buzzing from flies as Calix walked forward, his eyes roaming around whatever wreckage was in front of them. As Bellamy and Finn observed what he was observing, Bellamy grabbed his gun and spoke to those behind him.

"Fall in." They moved at a slow pace across the path, the image before them coming clearer. Dead bodies. Carnage and wreckage galore.

"Where the hell did they come from?" asked Murphy.

Bellamy turned his head to Murphy. "From the Ark."

The buzzing from the flies around the carnage continued as Finn, Bellamy, Calix, Murphy, Sterling, and Monroe walked down the path of blood and corpses only to come to the edge of a cliff, where they witnessed the entire Ark station in pieces at the bottom.

As if the thought that it was morbid never crossed his mind, Murphy commented, "That's a rough landing."

Everyone was quiet for at least one or two moments of silence to not disrespect the dead. But when it became evident that there was no one left to save and that there was nothing they could do for the dead members of the Ark who had been unfortunate enough to come down on the majority percent that didn't have a chance of surviving the fall, Bellamy said softly, "There's nothing we can do for these people. We've got to go."

He and Finn turned, as did Murphy, Monroe, and Sterling; however, Calix was delaying his response. Just as Finn and Bellamy got a few more steps towards the way back, they all heard a whimpering in the distance. Murphy raised his eyebrows.

"Did you hear that?"

Those who weren't still standing at the cliff turned back and looked down the edge to where the whimpering was coming from.

"Hey!" Monroe pointed down at the edge to a small shape beside a tree root. "Hey, someone's down there."

"Hey!" Bellamy shouted down at whoever was whimpering at them, the one who was clearly alive. "Up here!"

"Please!" the woman beneath them shouted. "Please! Please, someone help me! I-I can't climb up!"

"No..." Calix trailed off as he strained his eyes to look over the edge of the cliff, begging not to see the face of who he matched the voice with in his mind. "Zoe?! Zoe, is that you?"

The response was delayed, and in the meantime, everyone up on the cliff looked over at Calix as he anxiously awaited her reply. It was weak, but it did come. "C...Cal?"

"You know her?" Murphy asked Calix as he immediately knelt down and grabbed something from his pack. Calix wasted no time on elaborating to Murphy.

"Yeah, I know her. Sterling, tie this up on the rock. Now," Calix demanded as he handed Sterling the rope that was in his pack. Sterling took it without hesitation and went to tie it on the rock as Calix looked down the edge of the cliff. "Just hold on a little longer, Z."

"We can't stop," Finn hissed at Bellamy, seeing the look of concern in his friend's eyes. Bellamy turned around at him in disbelief.

"This isn't a Grounder, Finn. We have a rope."

"You saw her! She'd never be able to hold onto it. We'd have to lower somebody down. It'll take time that we _don't _have. I hate this as much as you—"

"I know," Bellamy cut him off. "I know, I know, okay? I know." The two were silent as they heard Calix behind them tell the girl below their feet to remain strong. His shouts were drowned out from Finn and Bellamy's hearing range as they both thought over the risks of taking the time to save whoever was in danger. At last, Finn let out a disapproving sigh.

"We'll come back for her. Okay?" he compromised half-heartedly. Bellamy lowered his eyes, knowing that it wasn't the right thing to do, but he knew Finn was right. They had to find everyone else. So, with mild hesitation, Bellamy turned around to everyone else to order them.

"We're moving out—" Right as Bellamy said the words, he turned around to find Calix lowering himself down on the rope manned by Sterling. Finn rushed forward, desperate to stop the attempt before it cost them any more time that they had already wasted.

"Wait! Calix!" Finn turned to Sterling, who dropped the rope he'd been leading Calix on down. Calix handled the rest as he lowered himself below the rock to save his friend with no one helping him. Finn had been too late to protest; Calix was already halfway down the rock before he had realized what was going on.

"Well, it looks like we're taking that break after all, huh?" Murphy announced spitefully, and Finn walked away from him with a scoff, unhappy with the setback.

"I'll call up to you guys when I've got her!" Calix shouted up the side of the cliff. "When I have her, pull us up!"

Murphy took in a hesitant inhale. "So does this mean that Robin Hood's boyfriend is the _actual _Robin Hood? What does that make her, then? Robinette? No, but see, she doesn't—"

"Shut up, Murphy," Bellamy barked. All of them were too preoccupied to see the fact that the rope Sterling had tied on the rock behind them was starting to become loose. Below the cliff, Calix lowered himself just enough so that he was hovering beside Zoe as she was attached to a tree, propped up on a rock that hardly looked stable. Zoe was clearly injured, more severe than Calix would've hoped, with her seatbelt looped on the tree sticking out from the rocks of the cliff. She breathed out a sigh of relief upon seeing him.

"It's good to see you, Cal."

He stared at her for a moment, but it wasn't a look of relief or a sad smile like the one she had on her face. She was a very beautiful girl, obviously in her early to mid twenties, with dark hair and olive skin that complimented every feature on her face. She was the perfect woman, disregarding the imperfections on her injured face. Regardless, Calix's expression was more solemn, more reserved, and overall less enthusiastic to see her. When he spoke, his voice was blunt and cold.

"Shut up, Z, and give me your hand."

The smile on her face dropped, and above them, unknown to everyone else, the knot of the rope loosened even more. With a hard swallow, Zoe tried to reach out and grab Calix's hand, but he was too far from her that she could reach. He tried to reach out for her, too, and stepped on the rock that she was supporting herself on, but suddenly it gave away underneath their feet, leaving them defenseless. Zoe clutched onto the root of the tree for dear life and Calix was thrown to the side, the rope swinging back and forth as he desperately tried to regain his balance.

"Calix!" Zoe screamed out in terror.

"Hold on!" Calix tried to stop himself, but just as he reached up and grabbed a rock to balance himself, the rope above them gave out. Calix's feet slipped and the rope tying them to the top of the cliff slid down Calix's waist and went straight for the ground. Luckily for Calix, he was able to maintain a stable grip on the rock he had held onto and used two rocks beneath him as support, barely keeping any weight on them for fear that they might also give out. Calix and Zoe were both staring at each other on opposite sides of the cliff, Calix grunting and already starting to perspire from the amount of weight he had to keep on his well-built arms.

"Mercer?" Bellamy called down the cliff.

Calix groaned. "Blake, get me some goddamn rope!"

Finn stepped up to Bellamy's side. "We're out of rope."

"So we make a new one."

"If anything happens to our friends when we could—"

"We don't know if we could save our friends!" Bellamy shouted over Finn's voice angrily. "For all we know, they may be dead already! We've all thought it! But what we do know is that we can save _my _friend down there and whoever the hell was so important that he had to risk his life for her."

Everyone was silent, but no one except for Finn was disagreeing. At last, Murphy looked over at Blake for answers. "How do we do it?"

"We make new rope from the wreckage. Go find wires...seatbelts...anything." Murphy nodded and he, Sterling, and Monroe all left to go find things from the wreckage. Sterling looked at the rock where he had tired the rope in sheer embarrassment and guilt; he'd thought he'd tied it tight enough. It was his fault Calix was in this mess. Regardless, he did what he could do help.

When they were gone, Finn looked at Bellamy with hard eyes. "I hope you're right about this."

Immediately after, he took off, leaving Bellamy to whisper to himself, "So do I."

It didn't take long for them to find wreckage from the crash and use it to build a new rope. It took longer than Finn would've liked but shorter than he anticipated. Once the rope was assembled, Bellamy looked down the cliff and shouted down, "Hey! We built the rope. You think you can tie it to yourself if we ease it down there?"

"Um…" Calix looked around him to see if it were possible for him to maneuver himself to tie the belt around him if they threw it down. After a moment's thought, he realized that, though it wouldn't be easy, he could probably manage it. "Yeah. Just go ahead and throw it down! If it doesn't work, someone will just have to come down and get us one at a time."

"How in the hell do you expect to be able to tie a belt around you?" Zoe nearly shrieked at him, concern tracing her voice. He shifted himself so that his right hand, the one he didn't dominate with, was holding more of his weight.

"Why don't you let me worry about that?" he shot at her as those from above tossed the rope down. The bottom part of the rope was a loop that would have to go around either Calix's arm or Calix's leg, but the safest option would be the leg. Zoe watched intently and breathlessly as Calix struggled and grunted trying to use one hand to guide the belt onto his leg. The rock holding him up was about to come crumbling down because of all his weight, and right at the last second—the last moment before the rock fell to pieces, he was able to get the loop around his thigh and the rope maintained his weight. Murphy, Finn, Sterling, Bellamy, and Monroe all tried desperately to hold his weight from on top of the cliff as the real challenge began: getting them up. Looking at the top of the cliff, Calix announced, "I'm good!" and, lastly, looked at Zoe. He held out his hand. "Come on, Z. I've got you."

But he could see her start to choke. "What if…what if the rope can't hold us up…?"

"Stop it," Calix instructed, but it was more light-hearted than anything. "The rope will hold us up. Trust me. Please. Okay?" She was quiet, but eventually nodded, though hesitant. At last, she grabbed his hand and he guided her to hold onto his neck as he wrapped an arm around her waist and made sure it was a firm hold. The rope instantly got heavier as they swung on the side of the cliff, waiting to be brought up. Again, Calix told the others holding the rope, "We're good! Pull us up!"

The rope began to shorten, and Calix attempted to move up the rocks with it to quicken the pace. Though they were moving slowly, it was still working. Rocks crumbled from above as they scaled the cliff, but all that mattered was that they were able to get on flat land. But just as they could see themselves coming closer and closer to the top, the rope suddenly slid down with an abrupt halt, only indicating that something was terribly wrong. On the flat land on the cliff, Bellamy struggled desperately to keep the two on the rope from falling because the seatbelt had come detached while they pulled. Almost instantaneously, Murphy came up to Bellamy's side and helped him, as did Finn and eventually Monroe and Sterling.

"Hold on, Mercer!" Bellamy shouted down the cliff as he and the rest of them worked intensely to pull them up. They would've been able, too, with what manpower they possessed, had it not been for the arrows that were launched after them the moment Bellamy said something to Calix.

"Grounders!" Monroe bellowed, somewhat like a battlecry.

"Grounders?" Zoe repeated, her voice breathless. Calix, though he tried to eliminate the look of worry on his face, ultimately failed at not being concerned with their well being. Ignoring Zoe, he spoke up to the rest of them as Finn told Monroe and Sterling to cover them.

"How many are there?!" Calix inquired loudly. No one answered him, but he could hear orders being shouted from Bellamy to his warriors as they tried to shoot whatever Grounders were hiding from them. Zoe closed her eyes, waiting for the drop to come, but Calix tightened his grip on her. "Hang on, Z. Hang on!"

Murphy groaned. Holding both of them up was too much for them all; they wouldn't make it. He grunted at Bellamy, "Bellamy, he's got to cut her loose."

"He can't do that," Bellamy snarled.

"It's either the girl or it's all of us," Murphy snapped realistically, his fingers turning white from the grip he had on the makeshift rope. Right as Bellamy was starting to realize the very real possibility of both Calix and whoever the girl was dying because of the mess they were in, there was a sudden familiar sound.

The fog horn.

Zoe and Calix both looked up at the top of the cliff. Calix whispered, "What the hell was that?"

"Acid fog," Bellamy whispered to Murphy and Finn. Shortly after, he looked at Monroe and Sterling, who now had no point in shooting at the Grounders in the trees if the acid fog was going to come after them. "Monroe! Sterling! Back on the rope!"

And finally, with Monroe and Sterling helping Bellamy, Finn, and Murphy pull Calix and Zoe up from the cliff, the two finally came onto the flat ground with a heavy and exhausted stumble, but a stumble to safety. Once they were safe, Calix looked at Zoe with concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, breathing slowly, and gulped. "Yeah." Her eyes traced his as she nodded again, this time more sincere. "Thank you."

"We have to take cover from the fog," Finn ordered, but just as he said it, someone called out to them—or, rather, Bellamy in particular.

"Bellamy!"

Bellamy looked up and saw Octavia coming towards him. She looked so different; different clothes, different hair, just…different. Bellamy suddenly broke into a smile.

"No, we don't." He got up and started walking to her, where the two siblings collided in a long, overdue hug. Bellamy had told her to go with Lincoln when she had been injured by one of the Grounders, but there she was, right in front of him, and he couldn't be happier. "Octavia!"

"She blew the horn," Murphy mumbled, realizing what everyone, except those who were unaware of what the fog horn even meant, knew.

* * *

Alessia waited in the trees. Truth be told, she sort of felt like a Grounder, waiting in the trees for her enemy to come below so that she could attack, but she didn't care. Maybe Bellamy was right; maybe they were Grounders. Who knew? Regardless, she had climbed up in a tree and stayed silent until she was sure that one of the Mountain Men was beneath her. She could see one, clear as day, right below the tree she was waiting in. No one was around because she'd been watching them and she knew how they moved; they were in groups, but those groups were staggered. She could take one out without the others knowing. They had a very poor defense strategy.

The only thing that was tricky was that she couldn't let them know she was attacking. The other members of the group could hear, and she didn't want that. So, as quietly as she could, Alessia descended from the tree, attacking the Mountain Man with stealth and swiftness. She ripped off the gas mask of the hazmat suit and covered the Mountain Man's mouth with her hand so that his screams were muffled. Eventually, he passed out; and when he would die in the future from the radiation exposure, that was not her problem. She had a moral line, but it did not extend to those who lock people up in cages like they used to at petting zoos and use them for blood fusions. She had no moral issues killing a Mountain Man.

She knew she had to act fast before any of the other men saw that one of them was down. She dragged the man's body underneath a bed of leaves and grabbed the dart gun in his hand, which was chocked full of sedatives for Anya, whom Alessia had no reserves about stunting. _Fool me once, _she thought.

Clarke was still being pulled around by Anya like a dog on a leash. It was shortly after they discovered that Anya had a tracker inside of her skin that was letting the Mountain Men know where they were and Anya had ripped it out of her teeth like an animal did Clarke actually speak about it.

"Anya, you're still bleeding." Clarke tugged them to a stop, observing the annoyed look at the warrior's face. "At least let me bandage it before it gets infected."

Anya looked down at her wound, and in that moment of unexpectedness, Clarke lunged forward, sinking the sedative dart she had managed to salvage from one of the Mountain Men's stunts earlier into Anya's neck. Anya stumbled, clearly impaired, and it didn't take long for her to drop to the ground. Immediately, Clarke ripped out the bind on her hands.

"I can find my way home from here." She bent down and used her own ties to bind Anya's hands together. Clarke, covered in mud and blood, whispered darkly, "It looks like you're my prisoner now."

"Well damn it." As Clarke finished tying Anya's hands together, she turned around and saw Alessia standing behind her with a dart gun in her hand and a sour frown on her face. "I decide to steal a dart gun and you beat me to the punch? Seriously? I mean, good job on taking her down and everything but…" She trailed off, and with a sigh, just tossed the sedative gun to the side and walked forward. Clarke let out a sigh of relief seeing Alessia there with her. "Come on. Let's take this bitch home."

* * *

"Thank you," Zoe said to Calix as he finished tying a piece of cloth around her shoulder to act as a sling for the dislocated rotator cuff that he'd had to pop back in earlier, where she had also thanked him. At this point in time, all Calix did was sigh.

"If you keep thanking me, Zoe, I'm not going to do anything nice for you again. Ever," he growled. She lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just…it's been a while." She brought her eyes to roam his face. "I missed you, Cal."

He looked up at her, but he said nothing. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he tied the knot around her shoulder and turned, walking away from her to go over to Bellamy, who was observing Octavia as she patched up Monroe's wound from the Grounder fight. They both were in the same, crossed-arm, power stance as they watched, thinking about more than what was wrong with Monroe.

"Zoe Mathis," Bellamy mumbled under his breath. "The girl from Farm Station. The painter, right?"

Calix let out a sigh. "I really don't want to talk about it."

Bellamy and Calix were quiet for a while, but when the silence was too much for him, Bellamy asked quietly, "So…why'd you save her?"

He looked over, confused. "What do you mean 'why'd you save her'?"

"I mean…she's your ex-girlfriend. The one that cheated on you like…twice with the Chancellor's son, Wells?" Bellamy shrugged. "If it were me, I'd be the first to walk away."

Calix scoffed. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not you, then."

He left, and after he did, Bellamy watched as Murphy came over and asked about Lincoln, causing Octavia to admit that Lincoln is gone. Bellamy, though slightly hesitant, knew that it was the right thing to apologize to his sister, knowing how much she cared about him. After their moment, Octavia sucked in her sorrow and stood up, announcing, "The Grounders will be back, so we need to go. Now."

"Yes, we do," Finn agreed. Bellamy walked over to him.

"Octavia says the arrow might be poisoned. I have to take them home."

"I know." Finn handed Bellamy the map that the Grounder had drawn for them, and Bellamy took it with a nod.

"I'll meet you as soon as I can."

"I know." Finn looked over at Calix. "Are you going with them?"

Calix uncrossed his arms and shook his head, stepping over to Finn's side. "No. No, I'm coming with you. Let's go."

"Wait!" Calix turned around and watched as Zoe stepped out into his view, confounded. "Where are you going? Why are you leaving?"

He looked between Zoe and Finn, and at last, he settled his eyes upon Bellamy and nodded once, a curt, harsh nod. "Make sure Dr. Griffin sees her when you get back. I don't know the extent of her damage from the crash. Take care of her."

Bellamy gave a delayed nod, but inside, all he could think about was the fact that somehow, someway, Mercer made it seem so easy. He made being the hero easy. He saved his ex-girlfriend, someone who didn't even deserve to be saved, and still had time to fight for his other girlfriend. It was unfair and cruel, but Bellamy couldn't do anything about it. He wouldn't leave his sister; he wouldn't leave his friends. For all he knew, Alessia could be dead, and it was better not to spend time searching for someone just to result in disappointment. Bellamy watched as Finn and Calix walked away, going towards the way that they needed to proceed in order to follow the Grounder's instructions, but right as they did, Bellamy heard Murphy as he stepped forward.

"Parting," Murphy began, "such sweet sorrow, right?"

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bellamy barked. Murphy, annoyed, turned around at him and threw his hands up.

"Come on, Bellamy. You know if I go with you, they'll just lock me up again."

Bellamy leaned down and slowly grabbed a gun from the rock beside him. For a moment, Murphy was slightly concerned as to what Bellamy would do with it, but at last, Bellamy tossed it up in the air and Murphy caught it swiftly without a word. From behind him, Bellamy could hear his sister's incredulous words.

"Really?"

Murphy set the gun and Bellamy turned around at him, warning, "Watch their backs." The delinquent nodded and followed pursuit after Calix and Finn. When he was gone, Bellamy turned to his sister and confessed, "I can't get them home without you."

She smiled. "Of course you can't."

He frowned. "Let's go."

* * *

"Oh, my God…" Alessia whispered as she and Clarke walked into their campsite, witnessing the charcoal horror from the blast they had initiated in what felt like years ago. They were carrying Anya's body on a makeshift gurney, but it was hardly a courtesy. They just didn't want to swing her over their shoulders and walk like that because it seemed unnecessarily painful. As Clarke walked forward to the side of the drop ship, noticing her name carved on the metal, Alessia looked around in nostalgia with an unsettling feeling in her stomach. Margot was dead, the fates of Finn, Raven, Bellamy, and Octavia were unknown, and all of their friends were still stuck in Mt. Weather, the equivalent of a blood-sucking vampire of an apocalyptic world. Where in the hell did they go wrong? Where in the hell did it go _so _wrong that their home turned into a massive amount of burnt corpses?

She pushed that Clarke-like compassion out of her head and walked over to her friend, who was—again, covered in mud and staring at the side of the drop ship as if it were a sign from heaven. Really, it was barely legible. In fact, the only thing that was legible was Clarke's name.

"What do you think it means?" Clarke asked quietly. Alessia stared at it and shook her head, but her heart was racing.

"I have no idea…" Right as she said the last syllable of the word, she noticed a dark figure in the corner of her eye. Alessia turned around, as did Clarke, and the two of them realized that Anya had somehow gotten out of her binds and was awake and somewhat steady. Steady and pissed was more accurate.

Immediately, Clarke went into peace-making mode. "Anya, wait—"

But she didn't wait. She threw a punch at Clarke, and Clarke dodged it with skill and circled Anya as she tried a few more times, still weak as a result of the sedative. Alessia watched as Anya went after Clarke repeatedly, actually managing to get a few hits in, but as she did that, Alessia wandered over to the pile of braces by the base of a tree and she grabbed one of them, no doubt getting a million splinters that she could feel the second she picked up the branch, and she swung it at Anya's head from behind. The persistent Grounder stumbled, but she did not fall. When she came back at Alessia, it was more resilient than ever. Anya managed to force the branch out of Alessia's hand, but not before forcing her to hit her own head with it. Clarke was on her elbows from an earlier blow from the Grounder, and as she watched Anya brutally beat Alessia, she grabbed a knife off of one of the corpses lying around and swung it at the warrior. However, Anya was too prepared, and she backed out of the way before Clarke could do anything.

"I don't want to kill you, Anya," Clarke reasoned with her.

Anya growled, "Then you're the one that's gonna die."

They struggled, but it was hardly a fair fight. Clarke's game wasn't combat; it was peace. She wanted peace, that's all she ever wanted. She didn't fight. Even during their battle, she didn't fight. She planned, she strategized. Fighting wasn't her thing, and it was definitely Anya's. Anya was going to kick her ass, and Alessia knew it, too. So despite the gaping gash on her forehead, when Clarke was on the ground coughing up blood from one of Anya's blows, Alessia fit herself between them and screamed.

"You don't get to fight with her, Grounder Bitch!" Alessia shouted, sure the whole entire world would be able to hear her. Anya panted softly, showing no fear of Alessia's interference. "You want a real match? You want a real fight? I spared you once, and I sure as hell won't do it again. You took _everything." _

And it was right around then, when Alessia said the words, that she really understood what they meant. Not Anya in particular, but Grounders. They took everything. Had it not been for Grounders, her father would not have had to come down on that exodus ship and would not have died. Had it not been for Grounders, Margot would not have bled to death in her arms. Had it not been for grounders, Finn and Bellamy would not be missing. Had it not been for Grounders, no one wold've gotten sick. No one would've had to die. Raven would never had to have been shot because Murphy would've stayed away and he would've died out in the wilderness all on his own. There would be no explosion; the Mountain Men would never have gotten to them.

It was her fault; Anya's. She wanted this. She wanted a war, and she'd get one.

Alessia grabbed the knife that Clarke had taken and warned, with her eyes, for Clarke to stay back. Clarke swallowed thickly and watched as Alessia turned back to Anya, her knife ready to strike. She went on the offensive, slicing into Anya's shoulder but at the expense of her hand being held captured and her arm being punched in by Anya's strong force. The knife was ripped from her palm and Anya cut her broken wrist, stabbed her broken rib, and kicked her until she was on the ground. Even then, she got up, and Anya tackled her like a bull, pinning Alessia to the ground, the knife right at her heart. As Anya swung up to stab Alessia right in the chest with all the force she could possibly muster in the world, Alessia took a rock beside her and slammed it against Anya's head, where she grabbed the knife that had fallen out of her hand and rolled over onto Anya, staking the knife in the ground and using her already bloody fists to violently and brutally deliver blows until Anya was blue in the face. When Anya stopped struggling underneath her from the pain, Alessia let out a battlecry and grabbed the knife in the ground, gripping it tightly. She swallowed thickly, and this time, she had no hesitations.

"This," she started, "is for Margot."

Right as she swung the knife down to impale Anya's heart, she felt a hand come up and stop her. She thought it was Anya's, but when she looked up, she realized it was Clarke. Clarke had called her name and yelled for her to stop, all while gripping her wrist to prevent the knife from coming down and hurting anyone.

"Alessia, stop!" Clarke yelled as she looked off into the distance. She pointed her other finger at something in the sky. "Look!"

It took a moment for Alessia to get past the red she was seeing behind her eyes, but when she saw it, there was no going back. There was a beacon in the sky, a beacon that meant that the Ark survivors were out there; and those survivors could mean Bellamy and Finn.

Alessia climbed off of Clarke and barely heard Anya say, "You fought well."

"Do you see that?" Clarke asked, her voice full of disbelief. Alessia stared at it with about the same amount of incredulity. "I knew it! Our people are out there."

* * *

They spent the entire night making their way to the beacon they had seen earlier. Clarke made Anya follow closely behind her until they came to a complete stop seeing the lights in the night from the Ark survivors. Both she and Alessia were filled with relief; they weren't alone anymore. At last.

"Look at that," Clarke breathed through her panting. Alessia nodded, resisting the urge to smile. Behind them, Anya spoke.

"How many are there?"

"I don't know. A lot, I hope." Clarke turned around hesitantly and reached forward, untying the rope around Anya's wrists. She looked up at the warrior. "I'm letting you go. I'm not weak, and neither is Alessia, but we are _both _not like you. Our only chance against Mt. Weather is if we fight together. To beat them, we'll need our technology and you're knowledge of this world. I know my people will help. The question is: will yours?"

Things were silent for a long time, and after a moment of reluctance, Anya nodded. "The Commander was my second. I can get an audience."

Clarke held out her hand, which Anya took professionally. She then urged, "Please hurry."

Anya turned around without a word, clutching her injured arm, and walked to leave the Ark survivors' camp. Right as she did, only a few moments after she began to walk, there was suddenly a loud shot, and both Clarke and Alessia watched as Anya went falling down to the floor. Clarke screamed out her name and, without thinking at all, rushed towards Anya, getting hit herself in the arm. Alessia looked around anxiously, knowing that there were weapons out for them. She barely listened to what was going on between Clarke and Anya, but then she saw the soldiers gunning after them.

"Oh...no." Alessia looked down at her clothes. _Shit. _They were dirty and caked in mud, charcoal, and blood; the same went for Clarke. They looked like Grounders, that was obvious. But the second the guards got close and she opened her mouth to say something, one of them took the butt of their rifle and knocked her over the head.

And after the day she'd had, she couldn't keep going. That one knock to the head put her out like a light.

* * *

**Reunions are next chapter! Thanks for reading! Please review! **

* * *

**CyberGirlfriend: **It's definitely going to be an interesting dilemma. Though Calix won't find out about Bell and Alessia until the chapter after the next just because I wanted her to tell him on her own, I didn't want it to be a thing where he just knew because then it defeats the purpose. But obviously Bellamy will know in the next chapter and it will definitely be hard on the both of them. Thanks for reviewing!

**RHatch89: **Jump aboard the ship there's plenty room :) Though we need a ship name for all the others like Calix and Alessia and now Calix and Zoe and even like friendship ship names. I was thinking something along the lines of Princess Hood for Clarke and Alessia's friendship or something...I actually ship everything because I write it all lol so I would enjoy some ship names. Whoa I got way off topic...anyways thanks!

**Momsen-xxxx: **Thank you!

**katiesgotagun: **I hope this chapter was good. I don't know. But the reunions are going to be amazing I'm so excited to write it soon. Thanks for the review!

**pureO: **Yeah you had to wait a long time with this one too I'm so sorry about that. Thank you! Yeah this whole Bellamy/Alessia/Calix thing is pretty sad because it's just a tough decision but I don't think she's really going to "choose" anyone. I don't think she believes in that kind of stuff. So...I'm not confirming nor denying that what Alessia wrote in her journal was a confession that she loved him because honestly that wasn't the point of the journal entry and their time to love each other will come soon, but the journal will always remain ambiguous. It would be terrible because Bellamy's Bellamy and the fact that Calix is around just makes things SUPER complicated so he's gonna be an asshole real soon which is going to be so much fun :/ Thank you! Sorry for the delay on the update!

**January Raines: **Thank you! Next chapter it's happening! The love triangle will definitely not be drawn out at all and I mean...it's open to interpretation whether or not Alessia even loves Bellamy and it's also open to interpretations whether or not she loves Bellamy more than Calix. Calix was a big part of her life, he was really the only person who meant something to her...before Bellamy, of course. But yeah he can't expect her to wait for a dead man, that's true. It'll all work out eventually! Thank you so much!

**ddluzelle: **Thanks!

**Iwannabelikeme: **Bellamy is terrified. And this will be clearer in 2x06 when Octavia actually has a conversation with Alessia and explains to her what Alessia actually means to Bellamy because, as of right now, the show's never actually said anything about Bellamy's past relationships. Right now he's a child who hasn't had any experience with real love which basically means that he doesn't want to know about it because he doesn't know what to do. On one hand, he cares about her enough to want to save her life, to want her to be alive; but on the other, he doesn't want to care about her. He just doesn't because, putting aside the fact that Calix is back, he doesn't want to get hurt. Bellessia's reunion will probably be very popular among everyone :) Calix and Alessia will be more sad than what Alessia and Bellamy's reunion will be like. But we're almost there! Bellessia...might be in danger, actually, it depends on how you look at it but it will all work out, I promise. Thanks for reviewing!

**A: **Thank you! I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long on this chapter too. Alessia takes no shit from anyone lol. She...may or may not love him. That's the point, it's open to interpretation. Their reunion is drawing closer :) Thanks for reviewing!

**WinchesterDixonBros: **It's almost here! Thank you!

**LovelyFandomLover: **We're almost there! She'll see Bellamy first and then she'll see Calix but that doesn't mean there will be some major complications in the next episode. Calix is "noble" I guess...so is Bellamy, but I mean, even in this episode, Calix saved the life of his cheating ex-girlfriend so obviously he has some nobility. Plus, he was the one who orchestrated the plan that got them arrested in the first place so he's always had that nobility there. Oh yeah they're definitely going to be in for a rude awakening. Alessia doesn't do testosterone. Thanks for reviewing!

**Charlie-Charlie-Charlie: **Wow that's a lot of chapters! Thank you so much! Oh she's definitely going to have a hard time dealing with that. On one hand it's good...she lost Margot (which you're right, it is really fresh in her mind, as it was shown in this chapter when she went all ballistic on Anya and said she was gonna kill her for Margot and blah, blah, blah) and then she gets her father, Bellamy, _and _Calix back, but you're also right because she's definitely going to be overwhelmed. It'll be a very interesting thing to watch, especially watching how her character grows as a part of these people being alive instead of dead, too. We'll see her transition very nicely into this impulsive, morally wrought girl into this very stable, strategic, more relaxed fighter. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**anna becker: **That's a lot of reading! Thank you so much! They're almost here :)

**Lucy Greenhill: **Thank you! Here's the update!

**ambrosesdixon: **We're getting there. Mmm...they might do a little more than hug :) It's going to be a very sweet moment that I've been waiting to write for a while but then...then it'll come crashing down like a house of cards which is not fun at all but it's necessary. Don't be nervous. It'll all work out. Thank you for reviewing!

**Pluv143000: **They're coming! Right now lol sorry I haven't had a lot of time to update lately. Thanks for reviewing!

**Guest: **Kane's reunion is gonna be great. That one is gonna be a little while but we'll get there eventually. All of them will be interesting. No more need to wait! Here's the update! Thanks for reviewing!


	18. Human Trials

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Human Trials**

All of the Camp Jaha guards flocked to where the soldiers, including Major Byrne, were bringing in the Grounders they captured from outside the perimeter. Weapons were hot and pointed to the dark forest as they anticipated an actual attack from those they thought were in company of their captured Grounders, one of which was unconscious, and the other barely holding on.

What they didn't know was that their 'captured Grounders' were actually two of their own.

"Move, move, move! Prisoners in custody!" the soldiers bellowed as they approached the shock gate.

"Secure the perimeter! Teams of three! Hundred yard buffer! Open the gate!" Byrne ordered her soldiers as her team came closer to the opening of the gate. As her soldiers obeyed her promptly, Byrne turned back at the conscious Grounder and urged, "How many of you are there?"

Clarke could barely see. Her eyes were blurry and she felt drained, almost about to give into the exhaustion as Alessia had. She said nothing, but Byrne didn't crucify her for it, thankfully; not yet, anyways. Wheels started to spin in her mind as she desperately told herself that she _had _to tell them they were from the Ark. Alessia and Clarke were on the first drop ship to the ground; they were the ones who fought the battle to begin with. But for some reason, Clarke couldn't find her voice. She was weak and drained in every aspect, unable to come up with an excuse that she wasn't sure the guards would even accept. They could think she was lying and kill them both before Alessia woke up, because if anything, Alessia would be able to get them to believe their truth. Alessia was Kane's daughter, known by every single one of the soldiers as long as they saw her face. But Clarke realized that the two of them looked like Grounders, they didn't look like people.

The people of their camp had some right to assume the worst.

As Byrne and the rest of her team dragged Alessia and Clarke into the camp, civilians from all around shuffled and dispersed in horror at the sight of the two 'Grounders'. But while this was going on, the new Chancellor, Dr. Griffin, walked out and observed what was going on. She looked at the two prisoners in custody, staring for a moment until she realized that something was very, very wrong.

"Wait!" Abby breathed out, running over to Byrne. Before she could reach the dirt-caked, blonde girl in her team's custody, Byrne stopped her.

"Once the prisoner is secure—"

"She's not a prisoner, she's my daughter!" Without being stopped by Byrne again, Abby rushed over to Clarke and bent down, where she held her daughter's face softly, tears filling her eyes while she brushed her hair out of her face. "Clarke…"

Clarke lifted her head, slowly but surely. For a moment, she thought she was seeing things. It was a blurry figure, but once the image was clearer in front of her, Clarke could make no mistake.

"Mom?"

* * *

When Alessia woke, it was already morning. Byrne was inside of the medical tent, telling the Chancellor that there was movement in the north woods, but she was unsure of whether or not it was Grounder movement. Clarke was up as well, but they all barely noticed her rise out of her unconscious slumber until she groaned, feeling the effect of the stab wound that had been masked by adrenaline earlier.

"Damn it," Alessia hissed as she was forced to lay back down from the pain. She would get up eventually, but she was too groggy to do it at that second.

"Alessia!" Clarke exclaimed as she slipped on her pants and made her way over to her friend. Alessia again tried to sit up, still sore on her side and from all the other places she was injured, but she dealt with it. Clarke sat down on the makeshift bed. "Thank God. I was starting to worry about you."

Alessia opened her mouth cautiously, then closed it and stared at Clarke blankly. "Um, who the hell are you?"

Everyone in the tent went silent. Clarke looked over at her mother, whose eyes widened at what Alessia asked. Once she was sure that everyone had been tortured enough, Alessia scoffed.

"Gotcha." She smiled, but winced at the pain in her laugh. "Ooh. Ouch. That didn't feel very good."

Clarke slapped her arm, earning Alessia to hiss. "Good! You deserved it!"

"Oh, come on…" Alessia said groggily. "I mean, I survived at least three broken ribs, a slice to the hand, a through and through, a broken wrist, multiple punches, _and _two stab wounds. You think one rifle to the head is going to do me in? Please." She scoffed and looked around the tent, where she noticed Abby and Byrnes as they stared at her. It took her a moment, but at last, Alessia gasped. "Dr….Dr. Griffin, you were—"

"I wasn't on the exodus ship." Dr. Griffin walked over to Alessia and sat down on the other side of her, taking Alessia's hand carefully. Alessia waited for her to say the words she was sure was going to come out of her mouth. "Alessia, your father—"

"He's still dead, isn't he?" Alessia asked, detecting the look on Abby's face to bear bad news.

Instead, Abby shook her head. "No. No, actually, he came down with us. He was the Chancellor, but he went to negotiate peace with the Grounders so that he could get you back."

Alessia paused. "So…then he's not dead?"

"He's not dead. Not that I know of."

She let out a sigh of relief and, had she not have been injured, would've leaned down with her elbows on her knees to process the information. Instead, she was forced to maintain an upright stance as she nodded and let the truth sink in. After a while, she turned back to Dr. Griffin and asked, "And what about the survivors of the blast at the drop ship? Raven, Finn, Octavia, Bellamy—"

"Raven's here. She was shot, but she's alive," Abby responded.

"Finn and Bellamy were here," Clarke blurted out, catching Alessia's attention. A hint of a smile spread on Clarke's lips. "They were here, Alessia. They survived the blast."

"But they're not here…now?" Alessia finished, looking between Abby and Clarke. Looking back at Clarke, she urged, "Well we have to find them. We have to go now if we even want a chance to stop Mount Weather from what they're gonna do to our friends—!"

"Clarke, why don't you go outside with Byrne?" Dr. Griffin interrupted, looking at her daughter with demanding eyes. She also looked up at Byrne. "Be cautious of the movement at the north woods but don't do anything without being absolutely sure it's Grounders. It could be more of the kids. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Byrne agreed, and Alessia nodded at Clarke, who was hesitant to leave. Eventually, Clarke followed Byrne out of the tent and left Dr. Griffin and Alessia to whatever it was Dr. Griffin needed to be alone for. When the two were gone, Abby turned to Alessia with a sigh.

"You need rest, Alessia. You were severely injured, even more than Clarke. You have several injuries that have only been half-healed—"

"Open the gate!" Both of them turned hearing the command, and while Dr. Griffin was distracted, Alessia forced herself up and slid her jacket on that they had taken off while repairing her stab wound. Dr. Griffin jumped up as well watching Alessia disobey her orders.

"Alessia, I told you—"

"Dr. Griffin, I know you mean well…" Alessia shook her head as she pulled her hair up into a knot at the back of her head. "And I appreciate it, but I'm fine. I'll _be _fine. I just can't stay in here and do nothing! I-I can't do it. Okay?"

She brushed past Abby without being stopped, which was at least an improvement. When Alessia stepped out into the light, she could feel it have a drastic effect on her head, but she didn't care. She watched as a bunch of people flooded to see what was happening at the front gate, and when she stepped out, she saw Raven walking slowly with a crutch to the front gate. Though it hurt her, she picked up the pace and jogged over to Reyes, where she breathed out, "Raven! Raven, hey!"

Raven turned around and gave her a smile. "Hey, Alessia. You're okay?"

"Me? Oh, I'm fine." Alessia turned to the front gate and tried to look to see who was at it. "What's going on?"

"Bellamy and Octavia are back," she told her. Alessia's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Yeah, he and Finn went out looking for you and Clarke and I guess he came back early but…" As she talked, Raven could see the anxiousness on Alessia's face, and she nodded to her. "Go on, Alessia, go. But Dr. Griffin said you were hurt pretty badly so I wouldn't—" Before Raven finished, she squeezed Raven's hand in a temporary goodbye and sprinted faster than she should've. The dark-haired teenager sighed and finished her sentence with a mumble and a laugh,"…run."

Alessia pushed through the crowd of people and ran right to a stop at least a yard away from where she witnessed Clarke and Octavia in a hug and Bellamy standing idly to the side, his eyes slowly drifting up until, at last, he realized who else was there with them. He froze, and she tried to catch her breath, but it was obsolete when she rushed forward and, to Bellamy's surprise, took a fistful of his shirt and brought his head down to kiss her. Bellamy kissed her back cautiously at first, words that he should say rattling around in his mind. He knew what he had to tell her. He knew that if she knew the truth, she'd think twice before kissing him. For almost three seconds, he fought with the good parts and the bad parts within himself, struggling with whether to blurt the words he was fighting desperately in his throat. At last, he threw them away all together and wrapped his arms around her in an enveloping stance. She almost molded into his chest as he returned her passionate kiss, his hands tangling in her hair so that the knot came undone. At that point, she didn't even care. In reality, their embrace lasted all of twenty seconds; while in their head, it lasted for more like days.

Beside them, Octavia and Clarke, pulled away from their hug and observed what was transpiring between Alessia and Bellamy. Though strange and sudden, it was far from surprising.

Octavia smiled. "Now there's something I thought I'd never see."

"Me neither," Clarke said softly, looking over at Octavia with a smile that matched her own. As they said the words, Alessia pulled away from Bellamy and caught her breath again.

"I thought you were dead," she admitted. He backed up and looked into her eyes assuringly.

"I won't die if you don't, remember?"

She sighed. "If that pact were in blood, I'd hold you to it." Bellamy smiled and, as he turned to Clarke, Alessia walked a half-step and hugged Octavia.

While they embraced, Bellamy asked the blonde next to him, "How many are with you?"

"It's just us," she replied and looked around. "Where's Finn?"

Raven looked at Bellamy as well, anxious to know where he was. Alessia soon joined on as well, and Bellamy was forced to break them the bad news. He looked over at Clarke and swallowed thickly.

"Looking for you."

* * *

Clarke had gone to her mom to inform her of their predicament regarding Finn and Murphy, who had both gone out looking for Alessia and Clarke, according to Bellamy. Bellamy left out one very important part of the story that he knew he should've explicitly explained, but he couldn't bring himself to. He was aware of Octavia's strange look, but she didn't say anything—she didn't know the importance of who he was excluding. But while Clarke was waiting to hear back from her mom on the decision of what to do to rescue Finn and Murphy, Alessia had learned from Raven that Kyle Wick, one of her presumed dead boyfriend's old friends from his home station, had made it onto the ground. Deciding to be more proactive than pacing in front of the council room waiting for a decision like Clarke, she went to where Raven directed her to say hello to an old friend.

"Les!" Wick exclaimed upon Alessia's arrival to the mechanic's room. At first she was smiling, but when she heard the nickname, her smile dropped.

"I haven't heard that nickname in forever. And I still hate it."

"Come here!" Wick demanded, and he pulled her into something resembling a bear hug. Alessia winced and, after enjoying the hug for a second, pushed him away.

"Ouch! Come on, Wick, didn't Dr. Griffin relay the latest gossip about me being stabbed by a Grounder?"

His eyes widened. "Whoa. No, she didn't, actually. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She sighed and slipped her hands into her pockets. "Or, I should say that I will be soon enough. Hurts like a bitch but the good part about it was that I kicked ass getting the stab wound so whatever." Alessia looked around the messy mechanic's station. "And…I see absolutely nothing has changed with you."

"Me? Nah." Wick shrugged. "Same ol', same ol'. Though I can't say the same for your boyfriend. One minute, he's a mechanic, the next he's back on your father's payroll. Again." He scoffed, almost as if he were offended. Alessia cocked an eyebrow.

"My…boyfriend? Wait, Bellamy wasn't a mechanic, he was a janitor. And besides, he's not—"

"Who the hell is Bellamy…?" Wick trailed off, bewildered. She crossed her arms.

"Wait, who are you talking about, Wick?"

"I'm talking about Calix. What did you think I was talking about?" Wick snorted as he turned away from Alessia. She uncrossed her arms and her expression turned dark as he walked over to a desk at the far side of the room while he resumed talking. "I mean…Calix sucked at being a mechanic. Really sucked at it, actually. So I guess it was a good thing he came down here and got to be a Guard again because I was convinced that they'd have to transfer him to System Analysis by the end of the year…" Suddenly, when Wick looked up from his ranting, he noticed that Alessia had shifted and had turned deathly pale. "Hey, Les, you don't look so good…"

"A-Are you telling me that Calix is alive?" she asked softly. He stared at her, confused. "He…he's not dead? How is this…possible…"

"Les, what are you talking about? He was never…_not _alive. In fact, he went with those prisoners that escaped to go find you and help that Finn guy find your old friend Clarke." Wick observed her as she put a hand on her weak stomach, positioned right over her stab wound. She looked like she was about to vomit all over the floor, and it caused him to take a tentative step forward. "Hey, maybe I should call Dr. Griffin in here. You really don't look good—"

"I…have to go." She turned on her heel and walked out as fast as she could before Wick could manage to stop her. The entire way over to where she knew Clarke and Bellamy would be, Alessia felt light-headed. She knew that she wouldn't pass out like she had the night before, but her whole world had just been turned upside down. An overwhelming amount of confusion enveloped her, and she was about to explode.

When she entered Alpha Station, oddly enough, the first person who was waiting for her was the one she'd rather wasn't there to witness her. However, she could't help herself from outburst.

"Hey," Bellamy greeted Alessia as she walked over to him, dazed. "There's still no word from Clarke's mom, but they've been in there for a while. Hopefully that means they're coming up with a plan." Alessia nodded silently, but realizing that the silence was a sign of something deeper, Bellamy asked hesitantly, "Are you…okay?"

Alessia let out a heavy, long-winded sigh and buried her head in her hands for a moment before rubbing her eyes and looking up at Bellamy tiredly. "You remember what I told you about my ex-boyfriend? The one who was killed because of my arrest?"

Bellamy swallowed. _Shit. _"Yeah…"

"His name was Calix Mercer," Alessia blurted out. Bellamy stiffened. "He went with you and Finn to find me. He's here, Bellamy, he's not dead. He's not dead!"

But it wasn't an exclamation of joy, it was more exasperated than anything. While she processed the words out of her mouth, Bellamy took in a deep breath and began, "Look, Robin Hood…"

"Funny thing is, you probably didn't even know it was him," she mumbled to herself, ignoring Bellamy's call for attention. A soft, bitter laugh escaped her lips. "I didn't tell you his name for a reason. I didn't want it to be weird and…and I didn't want to dwell on the past but now look at this! I'm a mess! But what I can't understand is how he could be alive…he should've been floated. There was no reason for my dad to keep him alive. God, this would be so much easier if Dad was here right now so I could just ask him why he kept this from me—"

"Kane—"

"And what the hell am I doing?" Her brown eyes locked with his heatedly. "I'm standing here…rambling about my not-dead ex-boyfriend to _you. _You! Of all people! I can't talk about this with you. I'm crazy, aren't I? This is unfair to you, to me, to him. Oh, God. This means that everything I did, it's technically considered cheating. I feel terrible about this, I just…I can't, I have to—"

She was about to walk away when Bellamy reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back with a brisk, "Alessia! Shut up and look at me."

"What?"

"I knew." Her mutual expression changed on a dime. Bellamy released his hand around her arm and carefully planned his next words with a sigh. "Look, I knew that he was your boyfriend, okay? I knew that your boyfriend was alive. Not since the beginning, but ever since we went out to find you and Clarke."

Bellamy shielded his eyes from her, but even without looking, he knew that her pupils were filling with shades of red as he spoke his words. At last, after what felt like forever and a day, she finally spoke, soft at first, but her volume increasing tremendously along with her fury. "What do you mean you…you _knew _that he was alive?"

"Alessia, I didn't—" he started, but as he did, in an episode of blind fury, she used her mildly injured hands and shoved him back as hard as she could. Despite the decline in her strength, Bellamy still stumbled back, and she stepped forward, fury filling her eyes once more. This time, he was forced to look at her.

"Are you telling me that this entire time, ever since you came back to camp, you knew that the person I loved was alive and you didn't even think to tell me? You just thought it'd be okay to kiss me, to just pile on the guilt I feel for everything I did with you because I thought he was dead?" she yelled. By this time, Clarke had noticed their argument, and observed it as it escalated.

At Alessia's words, Bellamy's eyes hardened. "Are you telling me that you actually feel _guilty_ for being with me?"

Alessia shoved him again, causing him to grunt over her screamed words, "You are not seriously trying to make me feel guilty right now, are you? You and your stupid pride, Blake, I swear I can't stand it! You knew ever since you saw me and I had to hear it from a friend? You were standing right here the entire fucking time! All you had to do was tell me, you selfish, arrogant _bastard—_"

She shoved him harder, for the third and final time, before the pain became too much and Clarke decided that their argument was not a non-violent one. Clarke rushed over and broke them apart, standing in the middle of the fighting pair as they stood head-to-head.

Clarke's eyes were wide and full of concern as she looked between them, asking, "What the hell is going on here?"

"Calix is alive," Alessia bit. Clarke's eyes widened even more, this time in shock. Alessia's next words were more of a snarl. "And _he _knew about it and kept it from me!"

"So everything is my fault, huh, Kane?" Bellamy growled. She huffed angrily. "That's why I didn't tell you. Because every time something bad happens to you, you find a million and one reasons to blame it on me!"

She could feel her body temperature rising by the second. "You know what, Blake, I wish you _had _died in that goddamn blast—"

"Alessia!" Clarke scolded, and Alessia stopped herself, though she still poured rage despite her over-the-line comment. Bellamy stiffened, but they were all interrupted in the middle of the fight when Clarke's mother stepped outside of the council room with an answer for them. Clarke immediately turned at Dr. Griffin and everyone silenced upon hearing that she had come to the decision that she was not going to go after Finn, Murphy, and Calix, but rather focus their resources on finding a way to stop Mt. Weather and sending a team out to retrieve Kane from potentially endangering himself with the Grounders when the Grounders weren't the ones holding the rest of the 100 captive.

Upon hearing this information, Clarke freaked. "What? No! You can't just cut them loose!"

"Sweetheart, we don't have the manpower to send out two separate rescue missions and protect this camp."

"Mom, they're in trouble," Clarke pleaded. "They're either going to get themselves killed or they're gonna make things worse with the Grounders, who we need to get our people out of Mount Weather."

"I know you feel this is unfair," Abby started solemnly, "but our priority has to be with Chancellor Kane if there is any hope for peace."

"If you wanted peace, you shouldn't have killed the only Grounder who was gonna help us!"

"I'm sorry," Dr. Griffin told her daughter, albeit half-heartedly. "But the decision's been made."

"You're sorry?" Bellamy spoke up, causing Abby to turn around with her mouth in a hard line. "Finn and Murphy are out there looking for your daughter with guns that you gave us! And now she's home, you're just gonna abandon them?"

"Shut up," Alessia snapped at Bellamy before she stepped forward to speak to Abby, her arms crossed over her chest. "Dr. Griffin, if you can't spare the guards, Clarke and I will go after them."

"No, absolutely not! Alessia, you're too injured and Clarke—"

"Mom—" Clarke tried to gain her attention, but Abby raised her voice over her daughter's.

"I just got you back!" she exclaimed coldly. Right as Clarke stared at her mother with both empathy and anger, Jackson came rushing through the hallways looking for Abby.

"Abby!" He came to a slow, and realized he was interrupting, but regardless said, "We need you in medical."

Clarke looked at her mother pointedly. "You better go."

Abby took a moment, realizing what her daughter had going through her mind. Therefore, without turning she announced, "Byrne? No one leaves this camp."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Spitefully, Abby walked away, and her daughter turned around to Alessia, who was standing behind her with her arms crossed defensively and pointedly against looking over her shoulder to where Bellamy was. Clarke nodded at her friend, and the past ten minutes didn't seem to matter at the moment. But Alessia was already on the same page.

"We're gonna need guns."

"On it."

Once Alessia had rounded up all the guns she stole, she met Bellamy and Raven behind a piece of scrap metal from the wreckage that blocked them from being seen from the rest of the camp. Clarke had decided, without consulting her, that Bellamy had to come as well because, apparently, he wouldn't give up the map unless he came with them. Typical Bellamy, per his usual. As she met up with Raven and Bellamy, she set down a duffel bag full of enough rifles.

Flatly, she noted, "I got some extra clips, too."

Bellamy looked up at her, his arms crossed over his chest. "How many?"

She didn't acknowledge his presence, and merely snapped, "Enough."

"My mom's in surgery and the team going after Kane just left. We should, too," Clarke announced as she walked up to them behind the wreckage.

"Did you find Octavia?" asked Bellamy.

"No. I found you." Octavia walked up to Bellamy's side with a stern look. "I'm not letting you leave here without me."

"Octavia—" Clarke began, but was stopped when Octavia cut her off.

"Finn and Murphy are headed for Lincoln's village. I've been there. Have you?" She looked at her brother, then Clarke. "Has she?"

"You done?" Bellamy chastised as Octavia stopped talking. Clarke handed Bellamy a backpack and he took it graciously before handing it to Octavia for her to keep. She frowned.

"What's this?"

He smiled. "Your pack. Lead the way."

Octavia was about to go ahead and lift up the strings of the electric fence to leave, but Raven stopped her with her cane. "Whoa! Not so fast, Pocahontas." She took the end of her cane and tapped it lightly to the fence, where a small spark emitted as a result of the touch.

"I thought you said it was handled," Clarke hissed at her.

"It is." Raven pulled out a walkie-talkie from inside of her brace and mumbled into it, "Shut her down, Wick." There was no response on the other side of the talkie, but when Raven tried the electric fence again, no electricity crackled from the touch of her cane. She turned back at Clarke with a smile. "Handled."

Octavia went first, Bellamy next, Alessia third, and Clarke last, leaving Raven to watch as her friends went on a rescue mission she couldn't even attempt if she tried.

* * *

Alessia, Octavia, Bellamy, and Clarke all traveled through the forest until it was dark outside, where they built a fire and set up camp for the night. Bellamy was only able to get a few drops of sleep here and there before he gave up entirely, deciding to stare at the fire and watch as the three women around him slept off the day's work.

His sister was sleeping so peacefully, but yet so different. Not long ago was she that self-absorbed girl who carried so much resentment for being under a floorboard. Being with Lincoln changed her, possibly for the better. Then there was Clarke breathing softly on the right of him, all battered and bruised like a warrior he knew she wasn't. Clarke wanted peace, and yet she fought her way out of a mountain filled with bad men. Last, there was Alessia, who looked the most different in her sleep compared to when she was awake. Awake, she was brutal. Asleep, she looked like an 18-year-old, a kid, who was exhausted of having to fight all the time.

They were all duplicitous, and Bellamy didn't know which side of them he liked better. So all he did was stare, watching over them all as the protector he claimed to be, and sat in utter silence. However, Clarke woke after a while, her eyes slowly fluttering to a state of consciousness until she was looking at Bellamy in the soft flicker of the flames in front of him. He heard Clarke rise, but had his eyes on Alessia. Clarke sat up with a heavy sigh and he began their conversation.

"The last time I saw her was when you were closing the drop ship door." He turned his head to Clarke. Her eyes dropped hearing the words. In an attempt to make her feel better, he justified, "It had to be done."

She nodded slowly, a small smile forming at her lips. Evasively, Clarke changed the subject, "Did you get any sleep?"

Bellamy laughed. "Are you kidding? I feel like if I fall asleep, I won't wake up. It was definitely a terrible idea to give Robin Hood a gun, right?"

He waited for Clarke to laugh at his joke, but instead, he watched as Clarke fell silent, her expression contemplative. Bellamy waited as she finally managed to look up and ask, "Why'd you do it, Bellamy? Why'd you keep it from her? Look, maybe you didn't know _everything _about Alessia and Calix, but I know she told you at least…some of it. You know her. Didn't it cross your mind that she'd be pissed at you…well, forever if you kept something like that a secret?"

He wished he could give her a good response. Maybe he had one, maybe he didn't. But he replied, "I don't know, Clarke. I just couldn't."

"You want to know what I think?"

"Not really…"

"Well, whatever. I'm going to tell you what I think anyways and you're going to deal with it." Bellamy frowned, but Clarke just took a deep breath. "I think that you did it because you love her."

Bellamy opened his mouth, immediately to protest. "Clarke—"

"Hear me out, okay?" she prompted, holding up her hand to stop him from continuing. "She doesn't like to talk about her personal life much, with people that she cares about, anyways. But based off of what I've seen, I think you do. I just don't think you know it yet. Which is okay; you don't need to know it right at this moment. You have…time. However, what you did today—keeping Calix's return a secret—you did it because you were afraid that you would lose her. I think you were scared that she would learn about him being alive and she would be so happy that she'd forget you entirely. But she's not a child, Bellamy, far from it. Thinking Calix was dead, it changed her; being with you, it changed her. She used to hate authority, and down here, she _is _the authority, but she's not doing it for me, she's doing it for you. She's doing it for you because she loves you, too. Though, both of you are too stubborn to admit it or even _think _about it right now so, no, you don't know about it yet. But today, when she came up to you…Bellamy, it was the way that I would go to Finn. You don't have to admit it now. Not to me, not to her, not to yourself. At least, not until you're ready. But what you should do is apologize to her because…the one thing you do know is that you were scared."

They were quiet. Clarke watched Bellamy stare at the fire for a few moments before he finally sighed.

"Yeah, well, no one cares what you think anyways, Princess," he mumbled.

She smiled. "I'm sure you believe that, too."

Again, silence filled the air surrounding them as the two co-leaders reflected upon their words for seconds on end, until finally, Bellamy decided to change the topic. He looked over at Clarke wearily.

"You haven't seen him, Clarke," Bellamy began, earning her attention. "Losing you, the others…the war, it changed him. He executed the Grounder that drew us the map. Pulled the trigger without even blinking and _walked away_."

Clarke shook her head, her words catching in her throat. "T-That doesn't sound like Finn."

"No. It doesn't." He paused. "I saw what he was capable of…and still, I let him go with Calix, Murphy, and three automatic rifles."

The blonde took a moment, thinking over Bellamy's words, until at last, she said softly, "I'm sure that had to be done, too."

Bellamy looked up, surprised, but Clarke's eyes showed only sympathy for him. Sympathy he wasn't even sure he deserved.

"When we got back to the drop ship and no one was there, we assumed it was the Grounders."

"Of course you did. You couldn't have known it was the Mountain Men. No one could have."

He swallowed. "How long until chocolate cake turns into being hung upside down and drained for their blood?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "But we don't have much time."

"Okay," Bellamy agreed. "First we find Finn, then our people at Mount Weather."

"And Lincoln," Octavia added, catching Bellamy and Clarke by surprise realizing that they had an eavesdropper. But not only did they have one, as Octavia sat up, their last companion's voice chimed in.

"And let's not forget about Calix." Alessia sat up, her eyes avoiding Bellamy's as he looked over at her with alarm, not offended by what she'd said but rather worried that she'd heard Clarke's speech. While she rose from the ground, she cleared her throat and mumbled, "Like some people…"

Octavia stood up, brushing past Alessia's mumble. "I think we've slept long enough."

* * *

It was daylight when they finally reached the end of the map. Octavia was paces in front of Bellamy, Clarke, and Alessia, letting her memories guide her rather than a piece of paper. She came to a slow a few yards away from an old monument covered in leaves and grind, tears forming in her eyes. Bellamy approached behind her cautiously.

"This is it. Which way to the village?" Octavia didn't answer, she just remained focused on the monument in front of them. Therefore, Bellamy prompted, "O?"

She breathed heavily and pointed forward with her sword. "The Reapers came from there." Bellamy followed her gesture and turned, watching as his sister exploded in a mass of tears. She finally turned to him, whispering, "I couldn't save him, Bell."

Bellamy caught her in an embrace, letting Octavia sob into his shoulder for the love that she lost. She just kept repeating her last words over and over as he stroked her hair, attempting to soothe her. Octavia didn't remain in the position for long; she managed to get herself together, wipe the tears out of her eyes, and bravely led them towards the village she remembered. As they marched to rescue Finn, Calix, and Murphy from their misguided mission, Bellamy and Alessia fell behind, awkwardly and unintentionally. She tried to avoid him at every glance, but once Octavia and Clarke were far enough ahead for them to speak freely, Bellamy began.

"Kane—"

"No," she said flatly, trying to pick up her pace so that he couldn't speak to her. But as she did, his hand came and clamped down on her wrist, spinning her back and pulling them to a stop. Her eyes widened as she growled, "Let me go!"

"You want me to tell you I'm sorry, Alessia, I'll tell it to you a hundred times if that's what it takes." She fought his wrist, but this time he wasn't going to let her win. "I'm sorry! Keeping it from you, it was stupid. But this? It has to stop. You have to stop—Kane, stop fighting!"

"I can't, okay?!" Alessia bellowed, finally able to rip her arm out of Bellamy's grasp. He gave an exhausted sigh, while still somewhat confused, and her breath shook as she stared into his eyes, her face guiltier than he would've imagined. "I-If I'm not…if I'm not angry at you, then I'm not going to want to find him, I'm going to want to turn around, go back to camp, and forget I even found out. The very thought of being 'that girl', it makes me sick, okay?"

Bellamy shook his head. "The thought of being…what girl?"

"'That girl'! The girl who gets sent down to Earth and forgets all about her life for the last eighteen years because…because she has some complicated, messy relationship with the _unbelievably_ attractive bad boy." Alessia raised a sigh and closed her eyes. "Don't make me be that girl, Bellamy. Let me be angry with you, just this once. Don't apologize, don't try to make it up to me. I cannot—will not—be 'that girl', do you understand me?"

He didn't get the chance to respond. Right as she finished, at the very last syllable of her words, there was a very distinct, audible sound of gunfire in the distance. Alessia whipped around and Bellamy came up beside her, and they could see Octavia and Clarke also come to a second-long stop just a few yards ahead of them. With one single glance to each other, Bellamy and Alessia broke out into a sprint, as did Clarke and Octavia, following the sounds of the gunshots.

At the Grounder village, where Calix, Murphy, and Finn had spent the entire day holding the village hostage and looking for clues as to where the rest of their friends were, it turned into an uproar. Finn fired his rifle every chance he had, at everyone who escaped from the pen they had secured all of the villagers inside. Murphy was shouting his name, trying to get him to stop, but it was constant flaring, constant firing of his rifle, as if he had been taken over. Calix, who hadn't been a fan of holding the Grounders hostage in the first place, had about enough of Finn's rebellion. In the midsts of the cries and bloodshed and sounds of firing from Finn's weapon, Calix put his rifle over his shoulder and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight through the flesh of Finn's right arm. At the impact, Finn doubled over, still gripping the gun tightly in his hand, but just as he did, he caught something in the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, the pain ceased when he looked up to find Clarke, Bellamy, Alessia, and Octavia stumble upon the village, each of their faces cast in ghastly horror at the scene. Octavia ran over and helped one of the Grounders who had jumped out of the pen at last and went to one of the younger villagers, holding his bloody corpse.

"Artigas," Octavia whispered, clearly familiar with the deceased. Finn's eyes didn't leave Clarke, who followed in Octavia's footsteps with widened eyes at the innocent casualties before her. But Calix, who was standing to the left of Finn, turned and saw his own girl, the one he had left to find, walking into the horrific scene next to Bellamy. Calix shoved Murphy his gun, his eyes locked on Alessia, as he walked over to where she was standing, just a few feet shy. The world slowed as she looked from the dead corpses up to him, and she swallowed thickly. Every image she'd been permanently engraving into her brain for the last year, the images she thought would be her last sights of him, were erased. He was there, standing right in front of her. A new stubble had formed on his face, his hair was shorter than before, but he was the same Calix Mercer, the man she had fallen in love with. Right in front of her very own eyes.

His breathing soft, he didn't have to even say a word. In fact, words failed him, as it did her. Instead, she took a few steps forward, completely forgetting the fact that Bellamy Blake was standing right behind her, witnessing the entire thing. But it wasn't about him this time.

Calix and Alessia had come so close, they were inches away from each other. Her eyes scanned every feature of his face, as did hers, but without even the slightest greeting, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, which she didn't object to. Her strong arms came around his head and she buried herself into his neck, resisting the urge to cry. Calix's hands softly caressed her back as he heard her struggle to fight back the tears, and he closed his eyes thankfully. But when they reopened, his pupils shifted around for a moment or two before they finally came up and, surprisingly, matched Bellamy's.

"Thank you," Calix mouthed to his friend as he tightened his grip around Alessia, fearing to let her go.

Bellamy watched in envy, but he hastily removed his eyes from Alessia and looked over at Clarke, who was standing in front of Finn with a horrified look on her face.

Through the wails of the villagers around them, Bellamy could hear Finn breath softly, "I found you."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review! By the way, if I haven't thanked you guys already, I really appreciate all the positive feedback on this story and the fact that we've reached 200 reviews. You all are the best readers out there :)**

* * *

**TiffVillard: **Thank you so much! Don't feel bad about not reviewing every time, it's okay! I enjoy reading and responding to reviews but I just appreciate everyone who reads this story. They've reunited! Hope it was sort of what you hoped for. Thanks for reviewing!

**anna becker: **Thanks!

**Ain'tEasyBeingBreezy: **Reunions all around is exactly right. Here's the update! Thanks for the review!

**Lucy Greenhill: **Thank you! Reunions have come and gone and now we get down to the annoying yet still necessary bump in the road for our beloved Bellessia. Thanks for reviewing!

**ThatGirl54: **Definitely a perfect reunion but the stuff afterwards wasn't so perfect. Calix complicates everything lol. It'll be more awkward for Alessia in the next chapter as she struggles with how to tell Calix about what happened between her and Bellamy, but she'll push through it. She always does. Thank you for reviewing!

**pureO**: They definitely did more than hug ;P but don't worry, I mean...a few more episodes of torture where Bellamy refuses his feelings and Alessia struggles with this whole Calix thing and it'll be pretty clear that the two of them really feel something for each other and it's not going away any time soon. Kane and Alessia's reunion will happen when Kane returns to camp in 2x08 so we've still got a little bit to go but it'll be worth it. But Season 3 is most likely where she and her father will begin to develop a true father/daughter relationship. Calix and Zoe might start a little something but there is the opportunity for Calix to start something with someone else also in Season 3. Princess Hood is amazing right! It came to me in a dream (that was so corny but it's true). And I love Calessia for Calix and Alessia. So we have Princess Hood, Bellessia, Calessia, and...Cloe? Maybe? Or Zalix? I don't know whatever works best. Here's the update! I hope there was enough Bellessia in here because the next major dose of Bellessia won't come for a while lol. Thanks for reviewing!

**A: **That's where the episode ended duh :P Yeah, I wish Alessia killed Anya too, damn morals. Right in the feels. Yep Calix is honorable and good and noble. Sometimes, anyways. Thank you for the review and I hope this wasn't too long a wait!

**LovelyFandomLover: **Thank you! Calix wants to do the right thing by everyone, even though he's still really angry at Zoe and clearly doesn't want to speak to her. But in 2x07 he will have a very not-so-noble moment that really pisses Alessia off so that will be interesting to see. Yeah, Zoe still loves Calix but he doesn't love her back...at all. At least, not at the moment. Well, Calix did try to stop Finn in the rampage, just a little too late. But there was no way he was going to stand by and watch Finn kill dozens of innocent people so it wasn't all that much tension. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**geminigoddess: **Calzone should totally be it lol. Zoe will kind of be annoying because she's going to end up causing a little bit of tension with Alessia just because of everything that happened on the Ark which may or may not be expressed in a flashback. Haven't decided yet but we'll see. Thanks for reviewing and here's the next chapter!

**katiesgotagun: **It's definitely gonna be exciting. Thank you! Yep, Badass Alessia strikes again. It's the Kane legacy. Here it is, hope you enjoyed!

**Totter4: **Here's the update!

**ambrosesdixon: **They're back! Was the reunion what you hoped for? Zoe will definitely be an interesting character to play with. It brings a little competition to Alessia's department. SUPER interesting. Thanks for reviewing!

**RHatch89: **Well their ship was the main priority of this one so dig away :) I love them too, though, trust me. Sometimes they can be an annoying ship to progress but I try. Thanks for the review!

**Samantha: **Don't die! Here's the update :) Thanks for the review.

**JessMegan: **Aw thanks! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!

**Milk: **Here's the update! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.

**Chloe fox: **Aw that's sweet. I actually want to be a lawyer lol but writing is a nice way to escape for me so I do it more for fun than I do it as a profession. Though I am working on a manuscript that will probably never get done or be published, but...whatever. Thanks for the review!

**Guest: **Lots to do this summer, my friend. Lots. But I will try as hard as I can. Thanks for the review!


	19. Fog of War

**So I've been a really big fan of **justsmile17**'s Bellamy/OC story, "Free to Live, Free to Love" and the sequel "Never Stop Fighting" for a very long time now and I really suggest reading it because it's simply perfection. Better than perfection, actually. Mine looks like crap compared to it and I'm not even joking. Give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed :)**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot**

* * *

**Fog of War**

_Two days. _

Two days since the massacre at the Grounder village.

Two days since they found each other again.

Two days since everything fell apart.

_Two days. _

The guards at Camp Jaha watched the electric fence closely, under direct orders from the Chancellor to make sure that there was no retaliation on the civilians for what Finn did to the Grounder village. It was finally night where the air was mystic, the camp was quiet, and tension was everywhere.

Finn, Murphy, and Calix were all detained inside of the station, being reviewed after what they had done. Meanwhile, Clarke and Bellamy were outside discussing the strategy to take against Mt. Weather, but they lacked a definitive plan. When the inquisition was finally over and Bellamy realized he was imposing on the very strained conversation between Clarke and Finn, he got up to get another drink that some lush was whipping up from Monty's still.

But Clarke and Finn weren't the only one with tension brewing. After Bellamy poured himself some more alcohol from the still, he looked up too quickly and found Alessia awkwardly walking towards him, having it had been too late to turn around and not look back. Bellamy raised a sigh, kept it hidden, and felt her as she came up beside him and waited for her own drink. He didn't speak to her or look at her, although he could feel her own eyes burning a hole through his head. Desperate to avoid the situation, he filled his cup up as quickly as he could and started to walk away, preying that she wouldn't talk to him.

But she was Alessia, and she wouldn't _be _Alessia if she did what he wanted.

"Bellamy," she began, skipping over the still and putting her cup down on the table accompanying it. He stopped, huffed, and turned around while taking an extremely large swig from his tin cup. "Did…um, did Clarke show you the map of Mt. Weather she drew?"

"Yeah."

"So what's the plan?"

"We don't have one yet."

Without elaborating, Bellamy turned around and again started to walk away, but before he could, Alessia hurried around and stepped right in front of him, causing him to fall short in his step.

"Bellamy, come on," she complained. "Don't you think this is a little childish? Even for you? You haven't said a word to me in two days."

"I thought you were the one who didn't want to talk to me," he returned sharply, swallowing down the alcohol in his throat. "I mean, didn't you say you _wanted _to be angry with me? I thought I'd just make it a hell of a lot easier for you."

"You don't understand—"

"What don't I understand? The fact that you told me you didn't want me to apologize again so you could keep be angry with me or the fact that your dead boyfriend's back so you just want to forget the past year of your life?"

"It's not that simple!" she hissed at him, her voice raising slightly higher than she meant to. Bellamy shifted, and she looked around and noticed the stares from people walking past them, but she tried to ignore it. When she looked back at him, she said softly, "You want to talk about forgetting the past year of my life? I can't forget what came before that, no matter how much I want to."

He hesitated. For a moment, he hesitated. There were two different lines he could take from his mind: the good one or the bad one. The one that would help things or the one that would hurt them.

He chose the latter.

"No one asked you to, Kane. Do what you want and see if I care," he said flatly and brushed past her, this time moving briskly so she wouldn't be able to stop him from leaving. Alessia didn't look back, but remained where she was and exhaled deeply as she thought over his last words in distress. Coincidentally, she noticed Octavia taking a cup from Monty's still, and though Alessia was worried that Octavia might've overheard her and Bellamy, she didn't care. She needed a drink, so she grabbed the cup she set down and poured.

"He does, you know," Octavia began after a while, once she had started to walk away and Alessia had downed all of the alcohol she'd managed to pour into the her glass. Alessia turned around to face the young warrior, who just stood with a blank face. "Care, I mean. He cares. If he didn't, he wouldn't be this upset over your boyfriend."

"Octavia, Calix is not my boyfriend," Alessia clarified with a sigh. "I…don't know what he is anymore. I don't even know what your _brother _is. This is all just one big, confusing mess that I was never prepared to deal with."

"So you think it's just easier to forget all about him?" Octavia propositioned coldly. Alessia frowned.

"You and your brother are so alike, it's annoying," she mumbled before looking up and raising her voice slightly. "Octavia, it's not that simple. No one is forgetting _anything._ But I can't pretend like this doesn't change anything, either."

"But that's where you're wrong, Alessia," Octavia tried, letting out a small scoff. "You are forgetting him. Because you're making it sound like nothing that happened ever since we came down here has mattered just because your boyfriend or...whatever is still alive. And my brother deserves better than to be put to the side because you don't know which one to forget and which one to remember."

"Octavia—"

"I like you, okay?" she cut her off, nodding slowly. Alessia looked up, confused, and found Octavia staring at her with a genuine truth to her eyes. "And if I'm being honest, you're probably one of the best things that's happened to Bell in a long time. But I swear, Alessia, if you hurt him, I _will _kill you. So figure out what you want to do and figure it out fast. He won't wait forever."

Alessia didn't have a response. Octavia just gave her a small, reassuring nod and walked past her, leaving Alessia to think over the words for herself. Her head was reeling and her stomach was sinking with all the decisions, all the ultimatums. But before she could even get two seconds to think about what she really wanted (as if she didn't have enough time already for the two days Calix, Finn, and Murphy were being held for inquisitions), Clarke and Raven approached her next.

"Alessia." She looked up and found Clarke staring at her seriously, waving her over to where she and Raven were standing. Alessia could see in her blonde friend's eyes that it was something serious; something that wasn't boy-related. Therefore, with a somewhat grateful heart, Alessia tossed her empty metallic cup to the side and answered Clarke's beckon.

"I tweaked the resonator and got this," Raven explained as Alessia and Clarke stood before her in the mechanical room she and Wick worked out of. The three of them listened to a static humming sound. "It's on every frequency. Long range communication is totally screwed. It's also why the range in our walkies sucks! It's the same signal Monty heard on the black box of the exodus ship."

"Mount Weather crashed the exodus ship," Clarke realized. Raven nodded. "Can you get around the signal?"

"Around it? No. But if I can get to the tower that broadcasts it, I can make it go boom."

"No one is going anywhere!" All of them looked up to find Dr. Griffin and Major Byrne walking into the room, Abby's pissed-off face flowing in the dim light. Clarke rushed forward.

"Mom, listen to me—"

"What do I have to do to get through to you? You and your friends are not soldiers, and continuing to act like you are puts lives at risks!"

"You don't understand," she tried. "Raven found something. Mount Weather is jamming our communications."

"It's true. There could be other Ark stations on the ground," Raven added.

"Not to mention guards." Alessia looked up and caught Dr. Griffin's stare. "You might not think we're soldiers and we're putting lives at risks, but finding other Ark stations means finding more security and more weapons. You said it yourself, we don't have enough manpower to fight a war. And I hate to break it to you, Dr. Griffin, but not only have we been fighting one since the day we came down here, now we're fighting two. We need all the help we can get."

When Abby was silent, Major Byrne spoke up beside her in an incredulous voice. "The Grounder retaliation for the massacre could happen at any time and when it does, we need every available man to defend this camp."

"So let us go," Clarke suggested strongly, the same words repeating out of her mouth as they had before. Her mother stared angrily.

"You're not gonna stop, are you?"

"Not until my friends are safe."

Abby was silent for a long time until she finally blurted out, "Okay. But I'm coming with you."

Byrne blinked at her, confused. "Ma'am, I just said—"

"It's been quiet for two days. Maybe Kane is making headway with the Grounders' Commander."

"And maybe he's dead and they're massing against us as we speak."

"Maybe," she agreed, pausing for a moment to consider the possibility. "Which is why we need more guards."

Abby turned back to her daughter, who nodded thankfully and summed up, "Then it's settled. We're going back to Mount Weather."

* * *

Clarke had convinced her mother to bring along Finn, Octavia, and Bellamy in addition to Raven and Alessia for their trip to Mt. Weather to remove the radio signal jammer. Abby had also commissioned some of the guards as well as Calix to accompany them on the trip for protection. After Alessia spent about ten minutes arguing with one of the guards about the fact that she wasn't issued a gun, she was finally given one so that she would shut up about it. Pleased, she stopped for a few seconds so that she could position the gun on her person and while she did, she watched as the people in front of her moved along. Finn, Raven, a few guards, Octavia...

And then there was Bellamy and Calix, walking side-by-side, talking with each other. There was no way of telling what it was about, but despite what she would think, Bellamy didn't look like he wanted to punch Calix, or the other way around. Alessia began to feel light-headed, and therefore she slipped the gun off her shoulder and shoved it to the first person who walked by her before she marched over to see what the hell was going on. But she'd reached them a second too late, when Bellamy had been called by Clarke to the front of their mission line, leaving Calix behind. Alessia tried to jog over faster, but by the time she reached Calix's side, Bellamy had gone off in the other direction. Calix noticed her presence immediately, completely bypassing the fact that she wasn't focused on him but rather on Bellamy.

"Hey," Calix began. Her eyes moved back and forth a bit before she finally focused them on him and tried to smile.

"Hey." Alessia swallowed. "What...uh, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"That. B-Bellamy. You were talking to Bellamy?"

Calix nodded. "Oh, yeah. Bellamy was just telling me what happened to that kid, Mbege, while he went out looking for his sister when she was kidnapped by the Grounders."

"Grounder," Alessia corrected sharply. "_One _Grounder, who turned out to be protecting Octavia, not—you know what, it doesn't matter. Since when did you and Bellamy start swapping war stories?"

He laughed, finding amusement in her strange curiosity. "I mean, I would hardly call it 'swapping war stories'. When you tell Clarke about your day, would you call it 'swapping war stories'?"

"Clarke's my best friend." She let out a small airy laugh and shook her head. "It's different—"

Calix shrugged. "Not...really. Bellamy's my best friend. The only difference is that you and Clarke have been on the ground since day one. I, on the other hand, have been stuck doing freaking mechanical work for the past year." He shuddered. "I swear, Sinclair was going to send me to System Analysis if I didn't get better at it by the end of the month..."

"Um, since when did you have a best friend?" Alessia pulled them to the side, panicking. Calix stopped with her and turned around, but he was beyond confused.

"Alessia, don't you remember? My friend Blake from guard training on the Ark."

"Blake? Blake is not Bellamy."

"Bellamy's last name is _Blake_."

"Well you could've been clearer about that!" she snapped. Calix stared at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Alessia, what's going on?" He tried to look at her, but she'd lowered her head into her hands and was rubbing her head to soothe the throbbing she felt. "Is this about what happened at the village with the massacre? Look, I tried to stop Finn. By the time I realized what was going on and managed to shoot him so he could stop—"

"No. That's not it." Alessia sighed heavily. "Nothing's going on, okay? Nothing. Just forget it."

She brushed past him, returning to the rest of the group and pushing through them so that she could get to where Bellamy was. She found him walking alone, and that was all the better. Raising a very annoyed sigh deep in her chest, she power-walked forward and came to stand beside him.

"We need to talk."

Bellamy glanced at her from the side and practically rolled his eyes. "I said what I needed to say to you, Kane."

"You know what, not everything is about this stupid fight we're having. We need to talk about Mount Weather."

He raised an irritated, yet tolerating sigh. "What about it?"

"You need to get Octavia and you need to go find another way into it," Alessia said quietly, making sure that her voice was low enough so no one around them could hear. Bellamy scoffed.

"Why don't you do it?"

"Because Abby will know I'm gone if I slip out because she knows who I am. She doesn't know or care about who you are so it makes the most sense for you and Octavia to sneak away from the rest of us and go find another way in. I'm sure Clarke's told you about the ruins, hasn't she?" she strategized, her voice bland and flat. But though Bellamy could see it was his best option, he was too angry with her to give in to what she wanted.

"Well find someone else to do it," he declined sharply. "I'm not putting Octavia in that kind of danger."

"I don't think you're understanding me, Blake." Alessia kept walking forward, her eyes focused and hard as Bellamy tried not to look at her. "I'm not asking. Get Octavia and slip away within the next half hour. I'll tell Clarke and we'll make sure Abby's distracted."

He fell short in his stride, causing Alessia to speed up and gain distance on him. He stared after her, fighting the urge to scream or shout or whatever he felt like doing inside. But the rational side of him, the protective side, knew it was their best shot. So despite his feelings toward the girl who barked the order, he reluctantly followed them, slipping out with Octavia within the following minutes. Thankfully, no one was aware that he and Octavia had gone until their group finally stopped at the bottom of Mount Weather so Raven could have a look at the radio tower location.

"There!" Raven announced as she pulled away from her binoculars and looked at Clarke. "I see it. Here."

Clarke turned her head and walked over to Raven briskly, taking the binoculars and looking for herself. She shook her head. "It'll be dark soon. We'll never spot the traps. We should set up camp here; leave at first light."

Abby took the binoculars from her daughter's hands and looked at the distance to the radio tower as she heeded her daughter's advice. Looking around, Abby did a mental spot-check in her head, counting all of the heads she could see around her that were a part of their group. When she fell two short, she realized immediately that something was wrong.

"We're missing two!" she called out to the guards around her. Knowing Clarke, Abby spun around and looked her daughter in the eye. "Where the hell are they?"

"Bellamy! Octavia!" a guard shouted in the distance as they went off to go search for them. Abby squared her jaw at the young blonde.

"Clarke," she tried softly, "we're in enemy territory and their lives are my responsibility!"

Clarke hesitated, debating on whether or not to tell her mother the truth or spin a story. Instead of saying anything, however, Alessia stepped forward with her arms crossed. "Abby, it was my idea to send them out, not Clarke's. They went out to find a way in."

Abby stared at her incredulously. "A way in? That's not what this mission is about."

"Your mission isn't about finding a way in," Alessia agreed, nodding slowly. "But I commissioned them to go on a secondary mission which...involved them finding a way in. So it is what _their_ mission is about."

Clarke and Alessia shared a glance, and Abby scoffed at the stealthy friends before she turned around and angrily commanded the guards behind her, "Find them. Bring them back."

"Yes, Ma'am," one of the guards said before ordering another set of guards to go along with him, all of them reaching for their weapons. Alessia noticed Calix walk beside her, obviously on her side and refusing to go along with the guards to find Octavia and Bellamy and bring them back. She gave him a small thankful smile, to which he returned, but they were soon distracted by someone calling behind them.

"I'm going with them," Finn announced, grabbing a gun from a pile on the ground and moving forward. Immediately, Clarke whipped around and protested.

"Finn, wait!"

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Spacewalker," Alessia tried lightly, intending to make her tone seem more light-hearted than the statement was meant to be.

"We need you here," Raven claimed, stepping in front to stop him from leaving. Finn looked at her with suspicious eyes, anger and hurt tracing his pupils as he exploded in fury.

"Why? So you can keep an eye on me? You'd have to be able to look at me to do that." Finn stared at Clarke directly, but though she looked at him, it was evident that she wasn't really seeing. Calix took a tentative step forward.

"No...because I shot you and you haven't fully recovered yet," he replied. Finn took a half-step back.

"I told you, I'm fine."

"Finn..." Raven started as he tried to take a step in the direction the other guards were going. But he was still blocked by her, and the amount of people breathing down his neck made him explode even further.

"What do you think I'm gonna do?!" he shouted out, flinching away from Raven and going in the other direction. He threw his gun down on the ground and took off, not looking back at any of his so-called friends who were watching him as if he were a grenade about to kill them all.

"Finn!" Clarke called out after him, but he was long gone. She hesitated for a moment, but after looking between Finn and her mother, Clarke started to move to where Finn left. "I'll go get him."

"That's not gonna turn out well..." Alessia mumbled under her breath as she crossed her arms and turned back to Raven and Abby. "For...anyone involved."

"Forget about Finn for a second." The brunette turned around to face Dr. Griffin, who was staring at her with peeved eyes. "You and I need to have a talk, Alessia. What do you think Kane would say if he were here right now after what you did, sending those two off in the middle of nowhere alone?"

"What would he say? Well, he'd probably say he's disappointed, because that's what he always says. But truthfully, we both know that on the inside, he'd be wishing he'd done the same thing." Alessia smiled at Abby, who was less than pleased with her comments. Frankly, she didn't care. Abby knew as well as she did that she was right about what Kane would want, and though Abby tried desperately to pretend to be the peacemaker, the one who had compassion for their people, she also knew that somewhere deep inside, Kane had also instilled some reality in Abby which caused her to know that Alessia's methods, though strange, were effective. But before Abby could come up with a response that would most likely intend to shame Alessia as a mother would scold her child, Alessia caught sight of something in the distance and her smile disappeared. Noticing the change in expression, Abby turned to where Alessia was looking and watched as a cloud of fog slowly began to creep from the top of the mountain. The second the green fog appeared, Alessia realized what it was, and she tore her eyes from it and shouted out, "Everyone set up your tents! Now!"

"What is that?" Abby asked, turning around sharply. Alessia opened the tent that Calix gave her from his pack and she quickly unrolled it out and looked at Abby with wild eyes.

"Acid fog."

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Calix began as he settled down in their tent and watched as Alessia zipped the flap just as the green smoke was about to invade their privacy. She let out a sigh of relief when it was trapped outside, sealing them in a literal bubble of protection. He continued with a confused sigh, "This...acid fog, it burns people alive to the point of death?"

Alessia caught her breath and turned around, nodding. "Yep. Pretty much. I mean, I'm sure it's more painful than that because it takes a while for your systems to give out, but yes. The acid fog is lethal. I don't know how long it'll last, either. We'll just have to be careful."

She came over and sat down, hugging her knees to her chest in a comfortable position. Calix shifted so that he was lying down. "Better get comfortable, then. So is it just some random Earth thing that happened because of the war?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I mean, before, we didn't know why it happened, but..."

"But what?"

"But when I first saw it...it looked like it was coming from the mountain."

"Mount Weather distributes the creepy lethal acid fog?"

"Don't ask me. The entire time I was in there, all I wanted was to get out."

"Now there's one thing you never told me," Calix began, his eyes tracing over her features as he sat up and asked cautiously, "how did you get out of there? It had to be difficult if they were obviously keeping you prisoner. I mean, you can be the biggest badass in the world but..."

Alessia let out a soft laugh. "I know what you mean. Um, President Wallace's son, Cage, was weirdly obsessed with me. I don't know, thought I was hot or something so he kept coming around, kept making these sly little comments. So when Clarke put her plan in motion to get out, I acted on mine. I..." She was about to tell him what had happened when she looked over at him, realized who she was talking to, and cleared her throat. "I knocked him unconscious and stole his access card. From there, I met Clarke and we escaped through the Reaper caves."

"Right. The Reapers, I heard about them." Calix nodded slowly, as did Alessia.

"Definitely not people you want to come across." She barely noticed him coming closer to her, sort of distracted by the acid fog winds from outside. The tent color turned yellowish, and she knew that it wasn't going to stop any time soon. With a sigh, she continued. "You know...the last time I was stuck in this acid fog was when I went hunting with..."

She trailed off when she realized how close Calix was to her. It wasn't arm's length, it wasn't a few inches, it was barely enough for her to breathe without blowing extremely hot air in his face. In the next second, he kissed her, apparently deciding that it was time. Alessia didn't really know what she wanted to do, so she kissed him back and breathed in slowly, taking in the scent she hadn't been around in nearly a year. It was different, sure, as the extra kick came with the joys of being in a post-apocalyptic world fighting to survive, but it was still the same as she remembered. His hand came up and cupped her face to deepen their kiss. Unlike what she'd experienced before, it wasn't a kiss full of lust or sorrow or happiness, it was one that made up for lost time. Whether that was happy or sad, it didn't matter. It had just been so long, she lost her head in it. Her hands came up and traced the side of his jaw as he slowly lowered himself down, pulling them both onto the hard ground of the tent floor in the midst of their lip-lock.

But that was when her thought came back to her, the sentence she never finished.

_Bellamy. _

_Bellamy. _

_Bellamy. _

"God damn it, stop. Just stop." Alessia pushed Calix off of her softly and sat up straight, wiping her mouth free of the guilt she felt. However, no matter how hard she tried, she was sure it wouldn't go away. She sat up straight, avoiding Calix's confused gaze as he slowly got up from being pushed off and looked at her for an explanation.

"Alessia, what the hell is going on with you?" She didn't respond. Her head was pounding, her stomach was rocking. Calix reached forward and tried to brush a strand of sticky hair out of her face, but she reached up and grabbed his hand, her icy fingers laying over his warm ones.

She couldn't stop the words from being thrown from her mouth and it was too late to take them back.

"I kissed Bellamy Blake." Her chocolate eyes avoided him, but she could feel his hand slip out of her grasp after the words were said. They were said quietly, however, as to not disturb any of the other people in the tents beside them. Unable to stop it, her eyes ended up wandering over to his, only to find them beyond bewildered. "I...did more than kiss Bellamy, actually, we've...we've slept together, we've kissed. And I...feel something for him. I don't know what that something is, but I feel it."

Calix paused, still processing the words from his girlfriend's mouth. "You...love him?"

She inhaled, attempting to say no, but the word was caught in her throat. Instead, what spilled out was a half-hearted, "Maybe. Maybe? I-I don't know. What I do know, though, is that I thought you were dead. I thought that you were gone, so...I moved on down here...with him, I guess. And it should be easy for me to pretend like nothing ever happened with him, but I can't forget it. I just can't. It changed me."

"He..." Calix trailed off, his eyes roaming everywhere but anywhere remotely close to Alessia's face. "He's my best friend, Alessia."

"I know that now." She swallowed thickly. "Look, I'm sorry—"

"Do you still want to be with me?"

The question came abruptly. She wasn't expecting it, and she wasn't prepared to answer it. He looked her right in the eye, waiting for a direct response. She couldn't find it in her heart to tear her eyes away from his, so she answered honestly while keeping eye contact.

"There's a part of me that does," she admitted. He breathed slowly as she presented her stipulation. "But...there's also a part of me that knows I can't forget what's happened. I just can't do it. He means more to me than that, and I feel terrible but I just...I can't forget it."

He nodded tightly. "So you would rather forget me instead?"

"I'm not forgetting anyone, Calix. I just need to figure my shit out first before we do anything else here," she answered truthfully. She could tell Calix was beyond furious, but he'd always had a knack for hiding it at times. Especially to her.

Calix began softly, though the blackness was clearly detected in his voice. "So where does this leave us, Alessia?"

Alessia gulped down the lump in her throat and fought back the urge to throw up from a panic attack. _In a tent being held hostage by acid fog? In a painfully awkward situation? Unable to speak? At an impasse? Taking a break? Confused? _

"Not where we were before."

* * *

The acid fog had lasted much longer than it should have; or maybe it just felt that way because Calix and Alessia sat there in pure silence for the rest of the time after her confession. They returned to camp with Abby and Raven, and while Alessia was packing up the supplies they didn't use on Mt. Weather to bomb the towers because of an alternative solution to instead listen in on the enemy, she noticed that Clarke and Finn were back. While she watched from a distance as Clarke and Finn reunited with her mother and Raven safely, a few moments later there was a cry in the distance.

"Help!" shouted a man from the bushes. Immediately, two guards at that sector of the gate walked forward with hot weapons pointed at the intruder. Unable to keep away, Alessia began to walk forward and watched as a dark-skinned man stepped out from underneath the bushes with his hands in the air, instantly recognized by everyone around them. Alessia, once she managed to get a condemning look, froze in her steps.

Chancellor Jaha stepped out from the bushes and told his men to stand down. He stumbled over to Abby, his face covered in blood and swollen from a beating. Abby's eyes widened.

"Thelonious," she breathed in wonder. Jaha breathed heavily and fell to his knees, observing the sight of the Ark station before him. Alessia walked up to Raven and Clarke's sides, witnessing Jaha's mysterious and somewhat miraculous return to their camp. He grabbed Abby's hand to stabilize himself as he choked out words in his throat.

"I have a message...from the Commander," he breathed softly. Abby bent down to listen to him. "Leave...or die. We have two days."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!** **Also, for those of you who aren't aware, there is a poll on my profile now for a new The 100 AU fanfic that I'm thinking about doing but I can't decide which story idea is better so I'd like some opinions on it if you all don't mind. The ideas are posted under the 'new the 100 AU fanfic' section of my profile and then the poll is at the top. Please do me a favor and vote for the one you'd like to see most!**

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**Momsen-xxxx: **THANK YOU!

**RHatch89: **Don't worry, so am I :)

**Guest: **Glad you liked them! Yes, our poor Bellessia heart. Hopefully that'll be fixed soon. Definitely awkward and kind of sweet, but this chapter will set up a whole different path for Calix. He'll begin to find himself without Alessia for the rest of the season which will be good for him. Thanks! Here's the chapter, I hope you liked it!

**Lucy Greenhill: **Thank you! Here it is, I hope you liked it!

**ambrosesdixon: **Basically her entire decision is based off of either forgetting the life she had before the drop ship or keeping the life she had afterwards. Bellamy changed her in ways that Calix didn't and Calix helped her in ways that Bellamy didn't so it's sort of a double-edged sword but she's handling it the best she can lol. Things are definitely getting messy. Calix isn't all that mad with Alessia, he's actually mad at Bellamy, but that's only because he's jealous and he's a guy so he has testosterone. Which is something Bellamy also has so that'll definitely be fun next chapter. Eh, we'll see :) Thanks for the review!

**Tiffvillard: **Thank you! They won't be fighting for much longer, I promise. Well, let's just say it'll get worse before it gets better. Aw thanks! Alessia and Bellamy will make it. Don't worry about not writing more, it's completely fine and I totally get what you were saying. I definitely will and thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

**justsmile17: **Already answered your review but thanks again! It was really nice hearing some feedback from you!

**Iwannabelikeme: **Yes, it was a pure moment of bliss before everything went to hell. Calix will probably be a little annoying for the next few chapters before he starts to really make a turnaround and become a better character. Calix will confront Bellamy in the next chapter, though it will definitely not be to Alessia's liking. Kane reunion is coming soon and I'm excited! Clarke is sort of like their cheerleader. Clarke and...sort of Octavia. Octavia is kind of a toss-up. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**sarahmichellegellarfan1: **Wow you reviewed a lot of times lol so I'm not going to respond to all of them but I wanted to take some time and thank you for the reviews as you went along, they definitely kept me entertained. Here's the update, I hope you enjoyed!

**A: **Haha it was definitely something. She's a passionate girl, she says things she doesn't mean all the time but yes there is definitely a lot of tension there and now there will be even more because of Calix knowing. Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!

**Milk: **Their love triangle is complicated and messy and it's a little annoying right now but it'll be over soon. Like a Band-Aid. The Kane reunion is coming! I'm excited for it as well! Thanks for reviewing!

**pureO: **The reunion was sweet but my intention was that, though everything going on between the Calix/Alessia/Bellamy thing, it's very evident that Alessia feels something more for Bellamy than she's willing to admit at the moment. The point is to break your heart before I can fix it up :) Finn and Alessia will probably have some more time in the next chapter but I'm not sure. I kind of forget where he was at the time but I'll figure it out. They will definitely have some moments before he unfortunately goes...I don't want that to happen but there's no other way to work around it. Oh Murphy and Alessia are gonna have some bantering fun in the next few chapters guaranteed. Almost there! Bellessia's getting there, too. Anyways, thanks for reviewing! Here's the update, hope you enjoyed it!

**Guest: **Thank you! Here's the next chapter, hope you liked it!

**Guest: **Definitely jelly. She will definitely be going through a rough time because Bellamy is not making it easier for her at all. Calix has a little bit of a temper issue but he's not going to take it out on her, but Bellamy will intentionally take twenty steps back from her because of everything that's going on, but thankfully she's a very intuitive, strong-willed girl so she'll know what he's doing and she'll call him out on it. Kane will definitely be another challenge and she is gonna have to learn to adapt quickly to all the war around her and being back with her father which will inevitably change her character for better or worse. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**RedApple15: **Here you go! Thanks for the review!

**katiesgotagun: **Aw thanks! If this chapter was anything, it was awkward. Here you go! Thanks for reviewing!

**Guest: **By The Click Five? Actually yeah I listened to it lol it is basically about Alessia and Bellamy :P

**sophie: **Yeah I listened to it and it definitely suits them.

**Bee-back: **Wow that's so sweet, thank you! Bellessia is adorable :) Calix didn't really react much in this chapter but next chapter we will definitely see his bad side. Oh, don't worry about what the other people have said. Thank you so much for reviewing and I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much!


	20. Long Into an Abyss

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Long Into an Abyss**

It'd been hours since Jaha's return to camp; hours since Clarke, Raven, and Alessia had been left in the dust when Abby and Byrne took Jaha into the Council Room and locked him inside so no one could disturb their intense conversation. Clarke was practically biting off her fingernails waiting for her mother and the former Chancellor to make some kind of public announcement, as Jaha's return spread quickly through the camp, as did rumors told by eavesdroppers that the Grounders would be attacking soon. Alessia had lost track of Raven, but when she had tried to keep Clarke under control and soothe her conspiracy theories about how her mother wouldn't care about their people within Mount Weather, she gave up and, leaving Clarke to her pessimism alone, joined the crowd of people that started to form at the door of what was left of the Ark. She looked for Bellamy within the crowd, but saw him nowhere and instead decided to join the silent, brooding Finn as he waited with the rest of the civilians.

"Still nothing?" Alessia muttered to him.

"Well, what does it look like?" He scoffed. With her eyes beginning to narrow, she crossed her arms and turned to him, vigorously shaking her head in immense protest.

"Uh, uh. No. No, I _refuse _to have you mad at me, too, Spacewalker, so get rid of your moping and self-loathing and lose the attitude." She let out a furious sigh and watched with angrily clouded lids as he turned to look at her with a tight line on his face. Alessia could tell he still wasn't happy with her, no matter how much she threatened him. "What? What on _Earth _could I possibly have done to offend you? Did I sleep with your best friend, too?"

Finn paused, but softened his attitude as he admitted, "No. You sided with Clarke and Raven out in the woods. I thought you had my back."

She snorted. "You massacred a village, Finn. People here will sugarcoat it for you, but I won't. You killed people...you thought you were doing what had to be done, but you still did it. But it was a mistake. What separates your action from a mistake and a lifestyle is whether or not history repeats itself so..." Alessia struggled for the words as she let out a deep, exhausted sigh. "Don't let it repeat itself, you hear me?"

He hesitated for a moment, but eventually couldn't help the small smile on his lips. "It's impossible _not _to hear you."

"Good. I'd like it to stay that way."

"Speaking of, I, um, guess you put all the pieces together about Bellamy and Calix, huh?" She looked up at him where the two teenagers locked eyes and he swallowed awkwardly. "How's that working out for you?"

"Fantastic, Spacewalker. Fan-fucking-tastic."

Suddenly, the murmur in the crowd died down, causing Alessia and Finn to cut their conversation short and look up to see Dr. Griffin exiting the Council Room with Jaha on her tail. As she looked out into the crowd of her fellow peers, Alessia felt Clarke come up by her side, wide-eyed and ready to listen to what her mother had decided.

"By now, you've all heard the rumor," Abby began, audible to those even in the back of the crowd. "And, unfortunately, it's true. The Grounders are coming. We have a difficult decision to make. Thankfully, Chancellor Jaha has found his way back to us and we're discussing all options."

Jaha stepped forward and around Abby. Alessia knew he couldn't stay quiet. Thelonious was a leader, not a follower. "But to be safe," he bellowed, "you need to pack. Now. Whatever you can carry. We may need to leave at a moment's notice!"

"Where will we go?" asked a worker inside the crowd.

"I don't know is the answer," he answered, shaking his head. "But I heard of a place; a city of light. It's across the dead zone."

"What makes you think we'll make it there?" asked another.

"Because we made it here! I have faith and...right now, given the alternative, that's good enough for me."

"What is he saying?" Alessia mumbled to herself, Clarke, and Finn as she focused on the former Chancellor with confused eyes. "That we just leave here? That we just leave the rest of the forty-eight with those ass—"

"Not for us!" Clarke thundered within the depths of the crowd, gaining her mother and Jaha's attention from in front. The entire population turned to her as if a spotlight had given them the chance to spot her within the sea of people. "If we leave here, what happens to our people in Mount Weather?"

"As your mother said," Jaha returned, a bit of a sour edge to his voice as he stared at Clarke, nearly throwing daggers in her direction, "that is a very difficult decision to make. But the time has come for each and every one of us to ask: is this how the story of our people ends? Did we come all this way just to die tomorrow? Because if we're not gone by the time that sun rises, that is exactly what will happen!"

Murmurs rumbled through the crowd; whether they were of praise or of protest, it was unclear. However, Abby looked at her people and spoke up clearly. "No decision has been made! Please report to your station supervisor and gather emergency supplies."

Abby and Jaha left their stage while guards replaced them to order the chaos that was most likely going to erupt while everyone scrambled for emergency supplies. Alessia opened her mouth to speak to Clarke, who was standing a few feet ahead staring after her mother and the former Chancellor, but right as words started to form in her head, she felt someone shove her from behind it.

"Excuse you!" Alessia growled, but barely realized that it was Bellamy dashing straight to Clarke. The blonde was too far ahead for Alessia to hear what Bellamy was saying to her, but she could see Clarke's face turn down and Alessia knew it was something big. He said something quickly and then turned around, locking eyes with Alessia for only a moment before taking off again. She debated on whether to stay with Clarke or go after Bellamy, but she wasted nearly a second before sprinting after the hurrying dark male who was desperately avoiding her. After shouting his name multiple times, she managed to grip onto his wrist and pull him to a brisk stop. "Hey! What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing," he barked. She scowled at him. "Get off! I said nothing's going on! Mind your goddamn business, Kane."

He tried to move, but she locked her fingers on his wrist and tugged him back, forcing him to remain where he was. Through her teeth, she sneered, "Any business you share with Clarke is _my _business; even if you are pissed at me. So I'm not going to ask again."

Bellamy let out a frustrated sigh and yanked his arm back. She let him have the win, knowing by the look on his face that he wouldn't try to take off again. Nearly biting her head off, he hooked his arm around her back and shoved her forward. "Fine..fine. Just...come with me. Now!"

As he led her out of the crowd, he tried not to attract any suspicious eyes but inevitably failed—Calix stared after them, confused but silent and calm, as they huddled through the crowd together and disappeared.

* * *

Clarke was the first to climb up the ladder of the drop ship to the top level. The ship was practically charcoal on the outside, but on the inside it was just a victim of negligence. When Clarke reached the top level, she looked to the side and saw Octavia sitting on the floor, an relieved look on her face when Clarke arrived. But as Clarke stepped up onto the leveled ground and Bellamy and Alessia followed in suit, there was a sudden growl, causing Clarke to jump nearly ten feet back.

Lincoln.

He was strung up and chained, as he had once been before, but his eyes were bloodshot red, his teeth were razor sharp, and he was covered in blood, some of which was most likely not his own.

"It's okay. It's okay. He's been restrained," Bellamy tried to assure Clarke, who was frightened by the very sight of him. But Lincoln was testing those restraints to the brink, pulling forward with all his strength. Alessia worried that the chains would break, but she trusted Bellamy to have secured them as tightly as he could. Lincoln pulled, an echoing sound thundering as he tried to free himself from the chains. Clarke's breath shook as she took in a heavy sigh.

"I can't believe we're back here again," she whispered.

"Can you help him?" Octavia asked quietly from her position on the floor, trying desperately to drown out the noise of Lincoln's animal-like growls that were uncomfortable to them all. He struggled and fought so loudly that it was impossible for anyone to hear their own thoughts."

"I don't know," the blonde admitted as she watched Lincoln continue to growl and struggle for freedom. "I knew Mount Weather controlled the Reapers...I had no idea they were creating them."

Bellamy swallowed back the fear in his throat. "If they can do that to Lincoln, what are they doing to our friends?"

Other than the gruesome sounds that were coming from their prisoner, the rest of them were silent as they realized the extreme possibilities that floated through their minds. But as everyone watched Lincoln in his loud, violent struggle with the chains on him, Alessia stepped around Bellamy and shook her head, nearing Lincoln with her eyes narrowed, thinking hard. Her voice was soft and was barely able to be heard over Lincoln's groans, but she spoke regardless.

"It makes sense," she realized, studying Lincoln with interested eyes. "They create the Reapers to kidnap the Grounders they held in the secret back room. Those idiots couldn't have done it all themselves." She turned around and looked pointedly at Clarke. "There should be a way to undo it."

"How?" Clarke asked, confused. Alessia stepped forward and shrugged.

"I-I don't know. But there has to be a way, right? They wouldn't be able to just...persuade Lincoln into becoming a Reaper. Maybe...it's a virus? Maybe there's an antidote. I don't know, but there has to be a way for whatever it is to get out of his system and he'll be normal again."

Bellamy raised his eyebrows. "What, like a drug?"

"Hold on, he's convulsing," Clarke observed, and Alessia turned around to face Lincoln who, sure enough, had started to shake and stopped pulling against his restraints. Alessia studied him closer, but as she tried to reach the conclusion in her mind, Clarke pointed at the blood pooling around Lincoln's thigh. "What happened to his leg?"

Clarke turned and looked over at Octavia and Bellamy, and the two of them were quiet for a long time before Octavia finally cleared her throat and confessed, "I shot him."

Clarke observed Octavia, who was anxiously shaking her leg trying to fight back the tears in her eyes as she said the words. Clarke didn't need to respond, she knew it had to have been hard for Octavia to do. But before she could even get a chance to think of a response that would sound remotely helpful, Bellamy spoke up.

"Clarke, he's lost a lot of blood."

"It's exactly like a drug," Alessia suddenly whispered, earning everyone's attention. She spun around at Octavia, who was shining a light on Lincoln's body so they could see him. The brunette waved her hand at Lincoln's neck as she inched closer. "Octavia, can you please put the light on his neck? I think I see something."

Octavia obliged, moving the flashlight so that there was illumination on the inside of Lincoln's neck. Clarke looked at it as well, and suddenly gasped when she realized what Alessia was seeing.

"Needle marks," Clarke noted.

"So he's being drugged," Bellamy confirmed.

"Possibly," Alessia agreed, but before she could say anything further, she felt herself under attack.

One of Lincoln's chains bursted, whiplashing her as he reached forward with no restraint and tried to strangle her. She fought back, but his strength completely outmatched hers as it would anyone else's. Octavia lunged, but Lincoln smacked her away, and when Clarke tried to peel Alessia off of Lincoln, he did the same to her. Bellamy was the first one to jump, but he managed to maintain a firm grip on Lincoln while Alessia tried to wrangle herself free. Lincoln's hand came onto his throat and he squeezed, though Bellamy fought back with everything he could. Lincoln tossed Alessia to the ground and head-butted Bellamy to the floor. When Lincoln was free of anyone attacking him, he managed to free himself from the other restraint and tossed the chains aside. He fell to the floor, attempting to attack those who were lying on the ground and watching him as he struggled free. The chains on his feet restrained him from going after them at a certain distance, which caused everyone to shuffle backwards and out of his grasp. When Lincoln realized that he was still tied, he lifted himself from the floor and tugged at the chains on his feet, trying to undo them quickly before anyone could strike. Bellamy grabbed a pipe piece that was lying in the corner from the drop ship wreckage and he lunged at Lincoln in an attempt to put him down so they could restrain him once more. But Alessia could see the link of the chain coming loose and so she screamed Bellamy's name in protest. Instead, Bellamy went at him and the chain Lincoln had been pulling bursted, therefore Lincoln was able to turn around and block Bellamy's attempt before he even tried. Lincoln threw down his fists over and over again, beating Bellamy brutally. Alessia lifted herself from the floor and reached behind her, where she produced a small handgun and, after just a second or two, pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the flesh of Lincoln's arm, as intended, and while he screamed in pain, Octavia came up behind him and hit him over the head with the pipe that Bellamy had attempted to use before. Lincoln fell to the floor, unconscious and bleeding from the fresh wound.

Other than the heavy breathing of those who were fighting against the Reaper, there were no more animalistic screams. There were a few moments of silence, but after those few moments, Bellamy slowly started to sit up straight, and Alessia limped over to him, kneeling down on the ground as he sat up against the wall.

"Shit, you're bleeding. A lot," she noticed, reaching out to note the wounds on his face. Bellamy slowed his breathing down and looked at her with confusion.

"Is that my handgun?"

Alessia knotted her eyebrows and lifted the gun in her right hand, where she looked down at it and remembered where it came from. With a scoff, she shrugged. "Yeah. I guess it is."

"You _stole_ my handgun?" he asked again. She grimaced at him and lifted herself up from the floor, wincing at the pain in her ankle but ignoring it to look down at him with disdain.

"You're fine," Alessia determined bitterly before limping over to Clarke, who was trying to get herself up from the ground. "Clarke, you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Clarke rubbed her head as she lifted herself up from the floor with Alessia's help. Once on two feet, Clarke looked over at Bellamy and sighed. "What about you? Are you okay?"

Bellamy scoffed and stood as his sister helped him up from the floor. "Well, apparently, I'm fine. Come on, we need to get him restrained again before he wakes up."

"I need to fix his wounds," Clarke added, walking over to Lincoln as Bellamy went over to the broken chains on the floor and started to fix them so they would hold Lincoln better than they had before. As Bellamy fumbled with the restraints, Clarke told Alessia what supplies to get her so that they could fix his wounds. Octavia went to get water for Lincoln so that he wouldn't be dehydrated during Clarke's mending, and when she returned, Lincoln was strapped up, chained as if he were in a straight jacket. She was so disappointed at the sight, but pushing her feelings aside, Octavia bent down and listened as Clarke began, "We have to stop the bleeding and get the bullet out of his leg. But the wound Alessia gave him is through-and-through. It didn't hit any major arteries."

"It wasn't supposed to," Alessia informed her, as if it were an obvious thing. Clarke sighed.

"Three inches to the left and you could've killed him."

"But I wasn't aiming three inches to the left, Clarke." Tired of arguing, the blonde just stayed quiet and started to work on fixing the bullet wound in Lincoln's leg while Octavia leaned forward and spilled some water into Lincoln's mouth so he could drink. Instead, Lincoln growled at her incessantly, fidgeting to the point where Octavia, afraid of what he might do, dropped the canister so water spilled everywhere. Clarke and Alessia exchanged a worried glance and then looked at Octavia, who was avoiding the gazes of everyone in the room with her as she took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

"I'll get some more," she said quietly before lifting herself off of her knees to go back down the way she came. Before she could reach the ladder to climb down, Bellamy stepped in front of her.

"O, once the drug is out of his system, he'll be okay," Bellamy assured her. Octavia shook her head at him and fought back tears in her eyes.

"You can't protect me from this one, big brother."

With the words out of her mouth, Octavia walked around Bellamy and hurriedly went down the ladder to avoid hearing anything else Bellamy would say, afraid that she might break. Bellamy sighed and turned back to Clarke and Alessia, who were trying to attend to Lincoln's wound. Clarke had instructed Alessia to keep pressure on the wound so that the bleeding would slow, and squatting down beside Alessia, Bellamy frowned at her as he saw the paleness in her face.

"You look like you're going to throw up," Bellamy noted, jerking his head at Alessia to indicate who he was talking to. Alessia sighed.

"Yeah, well, this whole situation kind of makes me sick," she confessed, watching as Clarke moved her hand so that she could take the bullet out. With a heavy exhale, Clarke swallowed and then dug her fingers into Lincoln's wound, causing the Reaper to scream violently, thrashing back and forth. Bellamy and Alessia did their best to hold him down, and at last, Clarke pulled her hand out victoriously with a shiny bullet to show for it. She set it to the side and nodded to Alessia to hold pressure on the wound again as Clarke tied a tourniquet around his leg and the bleeding slowed. Bellamy looked up at Clarke and nodded.

"Your mom would be proud," he tried, seeing the glum, depressed look on her face. She disagreed.

"My mom would know how to save him."

Clarke got up from her place on the floor and went to grab something to wipe of her hands, but just as she did, the hatch to the level opened. Bellamy looked over and saw that it was only Octavia, but at second glance he realized that someone was following her. A Grounder. The minute Bellamy had seen the Grounder, Alessia had as well, and she snatched her gun from the floor, leapt to her feet, and pointed it at the accompanying Grounder just as Bellamy grabbed the rifle from behind him. Octavia stepped in front of the Grounder, as if protecting him.

"No, don't! He's Lincoln's friend!" she told the two, waiting for them to put down their weapons. But just as Octavia announced who the Grounder was, on the floor, Lincoln began to convulse for the second time, shaking the entire ground. Alessia didn't hesitate to put the gun away and drop down to the floor so she could help Clarke, but Bellamy was a bit more reluctant. At last, he lowered his weapon and allowed the Grounder to lower to Lincoln's side, making Alessia stand up and get out of his way. He unrolled a belt full of old, dusty bottles filed with liquids and picked up a smaller bottle, looming it over Lincoln. Clarke was immediately suspicious

"What is that?" she asked, but there was no response from the Grounder. Still, he loomed the bottle over Lincoln's mouth and looked down with a sorrowful gleam in his eye.

"Yu gonplei ste odon," he mumbled before tilting the bottle very slightly so that only one droplet escaped the neck of it. But just before that droplet fell from the bottle and into Lincoln's mouth, Clarke dove her hand above Lincoln's slips.

"Wait!" she shouted. The Grounder pulled out a knife, and Bellamy, who still had his gun in his hand, raised his weapon and pointed it at the back of the Grounder's head.

"Back off! Right now!" he ordered.

"Yu gonplei ste odon," Clarke repeated to herself. She remembered those words. Those were the words that Anya had said to the Grounder in the Reaper cage before snapping the Grounder's neck with her bare hands. She looked up at the Grounder in front of her with a hard look in her eye. "It's what they say before death! He's not trying to heal him, he's trying to kill him."

"Nyko, is it true?" asked Octavia slowly. The Grounder nodded.

"Yes. Death is the only way."

"Hold on," Clarke pleaded. "There could be a way to bring him back."

"None that I've ever seen," he countered pessimistically before dropping the knife in his hand, realizing that there was a lethal weapon pointed to his head. Before anyone had the chance to say anything further, there was a sudden shout as someone came rushing up to the top level of the drop ship.

"We have to go! The camp's leaving! We have to stop—" Finn announced as he faced those standing by Lincoln's body. But before he could even catch his breath, he heard someone shout at him.

"You!" Nyko growled, and suddenly the gun behind his head didn't matter. He lunged at Finn, wrapping his hands around the teenager's throat and shoving him up against a wall with a hard slam. Everyone jumped up, aware of the attack. Bellamy pointed his rifle at Nyko and screamed at him to get off of Finn, but Nyko was relentless. He pushed harder on Finn's throat, all while growling, "You slaughtered my people! Elders, children, innocents!"

"Nyko, you're killing him!" Octavia shouted, trying to calmly get Nyko to release Finn.

"Blood must have blood!"

"Get out of the way!" Bellamy warned his sister, inching his gun towards Nyko.

Octavia held up a hand at him and screamed, "Bellamy, you are not shooting him! No!"

"Clarke, over there!" Clarke, who rushed over to the opposite side of Nyko, looked around desperately as Alessia shouted out her help and pointed to the floor. With wild eyes, Clarke scanned the floor for what she meant, and when she saw the small wand one of the guards from the Ark must have left behind when they rescued Raven and Murphy from the drop ship, she picked it up in her hand and didn't hesitate to electrocute the Grounder, who fell onto the floor as the wand in Clarke's hand buzzed with electricity. Things went quiet, but not for long. Octavia caught her breath, but when she realized it was too quiet, she looked over at Lincoln and became instantly alarmed.

"Lincoln!" Octavia exclaimed as she knelt over to his side and felt his chest for breath patterns and his neck for a pulse. Through heavy panting, she gasped, "He's not breathing!"

Clarke instantly rushed over to her and loomed over him for a moment. "His heart stopped. Move!"

Without wasting a second, Octavia stepped over Lincoln to the other side of his body while Clarke pressed her hands together and started compressions on his chest. Alessia, Bellamy, and Finn observed as Clarke kept pushing, trying to restart Lincoln's heart before it was too late. Nyko came to, still weak from the electrocution and not strong enough to attempt to go after Finn once more. Tensions mounted in the one room as Clarke continued to compress, and finally, there was a gasping sound, and Lincoln opened his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath of air. Clarke let out a relieved sigh, as did Octavia.

"He was dead," Nyko noticed with a bewildered look on his face, as if he'd just seen magic happen before him. Clarke looked over at him as he asked quietly, "How did you do that?"

"You've tried bringing Reapers back before?" He nodded. "And they died like this?" Another nod, and it caused Clarke to think things. It caused her to come to a solution.

"What is it?" Alessia asked, stepping forward while noticing Clarke's thinking face. "What are you thinking?"

She looked down at Lincoln. "I know how to stop the attack."

* * *

Clarke and Finn returned to camp so that they could talk to Abby and Chancellor Jaha about the plan she had to make peace with the Grounders so that they wouldn't attack by dawn. While they did so, Alessia and Bellamy agreed to stay behind with Octavia to keep an eye on Lincoln and Nyko, but they could barely stand to be in the same room together if they were being attacked, let alone if they weren't in any immediate danger. The silence had worn them both down and instead of fighting, Bellamy decided to patrol the outside of the drop ship in case there were any Grounders headed their way as a result of the attack on Camp Jaha. It was still dark outside, but it was beginning to show signs of dawn in less than a half hour or so.

It was as Bellamy paced in front of the drop ship, worried about Clarke and wondering whether or not she was able to salvage their final chance at being able to rescue their friends from Mt. Weather, that he heard something snap. A branch, a leaf, he wasn't sure, but he sure as hell wasn't taking any chances. Bellamy gripped his rifle tightly and squinted in the dim light of the earliest hours of the morning, ready to strike if a Grounder attacked. He heard another snap and readied his finger on the trigger. Another snap and he was about to pull. Instead, he made out a small figure in the limited light, and therefore he straightened and lowered his rifle.

"Shit, Mercer, I thought you were a Grounder. You were making so much noise," Bellamy growled as Calix stepped into the boundaries of the old camp. Calix held up his own rifle.

"If you shot me, I would've shot back," he promised, walking around Bellamy and further into the camp. Bellamy turned around and ignored the salty comment, swinging his rifle behind his back so they could talk.

"What's going on? Did Clarke send you here? Did she talk to—?"

Bellamy didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before Calix took him completely off guard, throwing a right hook right into his jaw and forcing him back a few steps. Bellamy could feel blood in the corner of his mouth, and he reached up to wipe it off while taking a moment to let himself be stunned. When he looked back up, he saw Calix throw his gun on the ground and stand tall. Bellamy spat the blood in his mouth and looked up, shaking his head.

"You've got to be kidding me," he growled. "And what was that for?"

"You know what it was for."

Bellamy watched Calix, noticing the red fumes in his eyes. Right then, he knew what he was talking about, and he shifted uncomfortably realizing what he'd gotten himself into.

"She told you?"

"Damn right she did."

"I didn't know, okay?" Bellamy reasoned cautiously. He knew Calix wouldn't really hurt him, but he would definitely try. "You never told me her name...she never told me yours...and she thought you were dead."

"That's supposed to be an excuse?" Calix scoffed. "You did know! I told you about her when I came down here. We _talked _about it! And you didn't even have the decency to tell me?"

Bellamy threw up his hands angrily. "And how do you think that would've gone? 'Oh, so Kane's your girlfriend? Funny, she's mine, too'?"

"You shouldn't have gone after her in the first place."

"I didn't know!"

"And if you did know?" the bronze-haired male proposed, his voice hard and cold. Bellamy watched him as his friend sneered the words out of his mouth. "Would it even have made a difference?"

Bellamy thought about it. If he'd known, would it have made a difference? Would he have saved her from falling down into the panther trap when they rescued Jasper? Would he have still kissed her in the forest the day he ruined Raven's radio and inadvertently killed hundreds of people? Would he have kissed her again on her birthday? Would he have took her out into the forest on Unity Day? Would he have made her stay by his side when they were infected with the virus? It would be so simple to think that he would never have done these things, even if he did know. But the truth of the matter was, he just wasn't that self-disciplined to have stopped it.

"No," Bellamy answered truthfully. "It wouldn't have made a difference if I'd known, okay?"

But, though he told the truth, it wasn't the answer that Calix wanted to hear, and it only made him angrier. Rushing forward, Calix took another swing at Bellamy, but Bellamy was able to deflect it and dodge out of the way so his fist never came into contact with his face. But the fact that Calix was fighting him only made him mad as well, and therefore, Bellamy knocked them both to the ground and had no choice but to fight. He swung a few good hits before Calix grabbed him by the throat and cut off the airway to his lungs. Bellamy tried to pry his hands off, but eventually he ended up getting enough leverage to wrap his hands around Calix's throat as well and do the exact same thing.

And that's where Alessia came in.

"You two are pathetic!" she shouted as she yanked Bellamy up by his rifle and broke him and Calix away from each other, shoving Bellamy to one side of her while keeping Calix on the other. They both caught their breath while she narrowed her eyes and knotted her eyebrows at them with a look of pure confusion. "Choking each other to death? That's really what you want to do? You two are friends, you morons! What the hell were you fighting about, anyways?"

"You know what we were fighting about!" Bellamy snapped at her, wiping off the blood from his lip. She looked over at him and watched as his eyes drifted slowly and met hers, where she realized what he meant. And it caused an outrage.

"You're kidding! Oh, you two have serious _issues._" She grabbed Calix by the collar of his shirt and shoved him over to stand next to Bellamy, where the two glared at each other for a moment before Alessia went off on them. "You want to fight about whoever gets to play in the sandbox first, be my guest! I couldn't care less! But me? You want to fight about me? This is the most irrelevant thing we could be doing right now! Octavia is up there praying that Lincoln doesn't kick the bucket and you two are out here fighting over me? Try it again, I dare you!"

The two of them were silent. They didn't say anything, but watched her as she practically fumed at them. A frustrated growl escaped her lips and she kept mumbling something about testosterone for a few seconds before she looked up at them and took a deep breath.

"Bellamy, get inside the drop ship. Now," she ordered. Reluctant to take her orders, Bellamy stayed on his ground for a few extra seconds, earning a very angry look from her. Finally, giving in, Bellamy ignored them both and stormed back into the drop ship where she told him to go. While he left, Alessia bent down and grabbed Calix's gun from the ground, where she tossed it to him and he caught it in his arms. "Calix, get out of here. Go back to Camp Jaha. They need you there."

"I came to help," he tried.

"You didn't come here for Lincoln, Calix, you came here to get revenge on your best friend because I told you there was something going on between us." Alessia let out an exhausted sigh. "Just...please, go back. I can't handle the two of you right now. There's too much at stake."

"Alessia—"

"Don't argue with me!" she shouted, cutting him off entirely. Calix flinched, but she took another deep breath, this time trying to calm herself and refrain from blowing up again. "Just go. Now."

She didn't wait for him to leave. Alessia turned back and went to the drop ship and trusted that he would go back like she asked. When she walked through the tarp at the door to the bottom level, she saw Bellamy trying to wipe off the blood on his knuckles and his lip. He looked up at her when she entered, but quickly looked away as she walked inside and towards him.

"He shouldn't have hit you," Alessia admitted, crossing her arms. "But you should've walked away." He still said nothing, and she sighed. "Oh, right. I forgot who I was talking to. Bellamy Blake doesn't walk away from fights, he welcomes them, right?"

Bellamy threw down the washcloth in his hand, causing Alessia to flinch slightly, but she never once broke her concentration. She watched as Bellamy opened his mouth to speak, presumably to yell at her, and she waited to take the heat. She was thinking of all the things he'd probably say to her; things like he was tired of fighting over her, he never really cared, and other lies of that sort. And she was too preoccupied thinking of comebacks to what she thought he would say that she didn't notice him close his mouth and abruptly walk forward before forcing her lips onto his, crushing into her with all his strength. His hands were around the back of her neck, his fingernails digging into the base of her head as he forced the deepest intensity out of the both of them. Alessia was instantly alarmed, and for a split second, she thought about pushing him off. She was so angry with him—with Calix, too—but for some reason, that only made her want to kiss him more. And it was wrong, it was irrelevant, but she didn't care. She took what she could get and kissed him harder, moving her arm to wrap around his neck and causing one of his hands to slip down and coil around her back, clutching her closer to him. It was head-spinning and intense, but most importantly, it was maddening.

"Come on, it's this way." Bellamy and Alessia barely had enough time to realize they were being interrupted before Finn tossed over the tarp over the doorway, watching as Bellamy and Alessia both broke away from each other with heavy breathing. Finn walked in skeptically with Abby by his side, eyeing the two with confused eyes. "Uh, sorry, were we interrupting something?"

"No," they said at the same time.

"Okay..." Finn trailed off, slightly concerned. He turned around and looked at Abby. "Let's go. They're on the top level."

Finn led the way for Abby, who followed him promptly, not realizing what had transpired with the two young adults moments before. Alessia and Bellamy looked at each other for a split second but didn't say anything, they merely followed Abby up the ladder to where Lincoln, Octavia, and Nyko were.

"Oh, thank God. Where's Clarke?" Octavia asked as Finn helped everyone off the ladder.

"Trying to stop a war," he replied. Abby walked over to Octavia, who was trying to clean all the blood off of Lincoln while they waited for someone to return. She bent down at Octavia's side and leaned forward, using two fingers to lift Lincoln's eyelid. She studied it for a moment and then sighed.

"Pupils are unresponsive. Tie off his arm," she ordered Octavia, who didn't hesitate to do what she asked. Abby began to prep a needle she brought with her and looked up at Octavia with a nod. "Thanks to the supplies your brother found, Lincoln might have a chance."

"What's that?" Octavia asked.

"It's to bring down his fever." Abby bent down and injected the needle into his arm, but as she did, Lincoln began to thrash back and forth, screaming out loudly and convulsing from the detox. Suddenly, he stopped, and Abby put her hands on Lincoln's chest to feel his heartbeat.

"What's happening?" she demanded. "Why isn't it working?"

"His heart stopped," Abby answered as she started chest compressions rapidly. She looked up and spotted Nyko, who was standing above Lincoln as if ready to step in. She realized that he was the Healer Clarke told her about earlier and, without slowing down her compressions, spoke in shortened breaths, "You're their Healer? Tilt his head back. Pull his chin down to open his airway."

The Healer did as she wanted him to, but nothing was happening. Everyone fell deathly silent and Abby kept preying, mumbling to herself for Lincoln to respond positively. But she kept compressing and nothing kept happening and then she realized that it was too late, that there was nothing more she could do. She was getting tired and he was being unresponsive. It was too late.

"You're stopping," Octavia observed nervously. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. He's gone." _And we're all dead. _

"No, it's not possible. You're wrong!" she screamed before shoving Abby out of the way, taking her place with the chest compressions. Bellamy stepped forward, shaking his head.

"Octavia..." Bellamy knelt down and watched her as she cried, trying to maintain a strong outlook but inevitably failing as the tears spilled over in her eyes. Bellamy swallowed hard and reached out to comfort her as the hatch opened and Clarke stepped onto the level and Octavia stopped the compressions, squeezing out her tears over Lincoln's dead body. Abby looked over at her daughter and exchanged a warning glance as the Grounders who were following Clarke, who were waiting to see that what Clarke said she could do was possible, realized that she was nothing but a liar. The Commander looked over at Clarke with skeptical eyes and a warrior stepped out as if she were ready to attack. Other than Octavia's crying, the room was pin-drop silent. Clarke looked down at the gun beside Bellamy and he slowly reached for it while Abby spotted the electrical wand lying on the floor. Alessia moved her hand slowly and discreetly behind her back, lifting up her shirt and reaching for the handle of the handgun in her waistband. And as everyone realized what it came down to, the Commander simply turned her head at the warrior beside her and nodded.

"I'll kill them all," said the warrior before pulling out a sword. Everyone reached for their weapons—the Grounders revealed their rustic swords, Bellamy jumped to his feet with the rifle in his hand, Abby bent down and kept a firm grip on the electrical wand, and Alessia pointed her handgun at the Grounders across the room, waiting for someone to make the first move so she could shoot.

"Please," Clarke begged, stepping forward. She had no weapon in her hand, defenseless against the Grounder's attack. "You don't have to do this."

"You lied," the Commander sneered. "And you're out of time."

Clarke tried to come up with a response, but she couldn't. Words were failing her because everything the Commander said was true. By the time she realized she had stayed silent for too long, there was a sudden movement in front of her and she feared that it was someone attacking. Instead, she realized that it was her mother who abruptly turned around and slammed the electrical wand onto Lincoln's chest in an attempt to shock his heart back. Nothing happened.

"Hit him again," Clarke told her mother. Abby did so, putting the electrical wand onto Lincoln's chest for a second time, causing him to arch his back and finally gasp back to life. Everyone surrounding them widened their eyes at the miracle and Octavia, who had been sitting beside Lincoln the entire time, went to find his eyes.

"Lincoln?"

"Octavia..." Lincoln breathed out softly, causing her to let out a sigh of relief. He was okay. Lincoln was alive; and he was no longer a Reaper.

They did it.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait, everyone, but I hope this chapter was worth it! Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**RHatch89: **Haha keep shipping it! They're not going away any time soon! :)

**Pompeii1224: **Bellessia lives on!

**ambrosesdixon: **That's one of the reasons Alessia will bring up to him later on in the story. Calix is like this typical character who thinks his girlfriend can do no wrong but she'll set him straight in the later chapters. She thinks it's unfair of him to hold a grudge against Bellamy when she's equally at fault, but Calix also feels betrayed by Bellamy because he was his friend. Calix had everyone mad in this chapter lol. I want to hug Bell too! Alessia is going to be heartbroken basically. Not looking forward to it. Hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

**Iwannabelikeme: **Bellamy was definitely being passive aggressive in the last few chapters but I think in this one he sort of realized he isn't gonna take any shit from Calix anymore and he doesn't care what Alessia wants because he realized that nothing would've changed even if things were different to begin with. Eh, the confrontation wasn't that bad. It's what caused him to realize his feelings...mostly. They didn't necessarily 'reconcile' in this chapter but they have gotten past this incessant state of blaming each other. Alessia and Finn will have some more interaction definitely in the next chapter before he dies. I'm so sad to watch him go. Thanks for the review!

**sarahmichellegellarfan1: **Alessia is not like that. She would never pick Calix because she feels an obligation and she would never stay with Bellamy just because she thinks he's the attractive bad boy or whatever. She obviously feels some remorse about being with Bellamy but she doesn't let that stop her from telling them both how she really feels. She needed time but Bellamy sort of ruined that for her which will force her to realize a lot of things in the next few chapters. Thanks! Hope you liked this one, too!

**Bee-back: **Aw thank you! Calix will eventually become his own person and learn how to deal with himself without Alessia...and maybe we'll like him a little more. We'll see. Yep, Marcus Kane returns next chapter! I'm excited! Hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reviewing!

**A: **Thank you! Haha Alessia's got some anger issues but he knows she really didn't mean she wished he died. Things definitely got physical. Kane and Alessia reunite in the next chapter when he returns to camp! He'll be...more tolerable, let's just say that. Haha thank you! I'm glad you liked it! Here's the update! Hope you enjoyed it!

**Maddie Rose: **Thank you! It's always nice to hear that I keep the characters in check. That's always a big fear of mine. Well, for what I have planned now, Calix won't be dying any time soon and he will definitely find himself another love interest. Depending on how Season 3 goes the love interest I have in mind might change. But right now he's pretty much hooked on Alessia and until he gets closure he won't really move on from her. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you're enjoying the story!

**Lucy Greenhill: **Thank you! Here's the update!

**katiesgotagun: **Mm...that is definitely a really good question that was basically answered in this chapter and not at the same time. It's complicated. He'll have some reservations, as will Alessia, but in the end, Bellessia will always win. Thank you! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Shorty-leigh: **Thanks! Physical fighting? After this chapter, no. Emotional fighting? Most definitely. Calix hasn't given up on Alessia and Bellamy's made it very clear how he feels. She's in for a fantastic ride. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**pureO: **Haha sorry :P Wish granted! Bellessia owned the stage in this chapter basically. Bellamy and Alessia won't clearly confess their feelings until the end of Season 2 (if that) but yeah, it's pretty much clear to everyone but them that they love each other. Kane reunion up next! Sorry for the wait on this chapter but I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review!

**sagge: **They've got a long way to go but I think they know deep inside how they really feel, it'll just be a while before they show it. Tension mounts everywhere, my friend. Thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**PorcelineLady16: **Thank you! Here's the update!


	21. Spacewalker

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Spacewalker**

_Deliver me the one you call 'Finn'._

_Our truce begins with his death._

Clarke could barely breathe as she walked alongside two Grounder riders through a cloud of smoke surrounding their camp. She felt like she was being suffocated, though no onwas within a few feet of her. The words repeated over and over again in her head: _our truce begins with his death. _Finn's death. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her head felt like it was going to implode. How could they get out of this one? The Commander sent the riders with her to ensure they captured Finn, there was no doubt about it. But there had to be another way to maintain peace with the Grounders; turning in Finn would destroy Clarke. Perhaps it was because of that very fact that the Commander was doing this to her, but it didn't matter. She wouldn't do it. She couldn't.

_Deliver me the one you call 'Finn'. _

_Our truce begins with his death. _

"Don't shoot!" Alessia yelled as she squinted through the fog and made out Clarke's bright hair approaching the front of the gate. She relaxed her shooting arm, but still kept it alert realizing that there were two Grounder riders accompanying the teenager. She looked around at the rest of the soldiers. "She's back!"

"Open the gate!" Bellamy ordered the men at Camp Jaha's entrance, coming up right beside Alessia as they watched the men unlock the gate and allow Clarke to step through.

"Hold your fire, but keep your weapons hot!" the brunette added, her loud command ringing through the soldier's ears.

A few feet away from her, she could hear Byrne tack on, "Stay ready!"

Alessia rolled her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek as she hissed to Bellamy, "Is it really necessary for her to essentially mimic everything I say? Isn't it enough that I'm Kane's daughter?"

Bellamy scoffed. "It's never enough, Robin Hood. You should know that by now."

Clarke stepped through onto Camp Jaha grounds, completely in a daze. She could barely hear the shouting around her, but she soon realized that someone came running over to her immediately upon her arrival.

"You okay?" asked Finn, looking worriedly upon the low-spirited teenager. Clarke looked up and seeing that it was Finn, of all people, her heartbeat sped up faster and she sharply turned around at the soldiers positioned at the entrance.

"Shut the gate!" Clarke ordered, her voice a prompt snap. The soldiers did as asked while Clarke took Finn by his arm and hurriedly brought him into the sea of people, hoping to blend him with the others. In a desperate voice, she whispered, "You can't be out here."

Through the midst of the confusion, Clarke somehow ended up in her mother's arms as Abby rushed up to her, desperate to see that her daughter was okay. Clarke hugged back, but the words just kept echoing in her head as if on an eternal loop. Soon, citizens huddled around them—including Raven, Alessia, and Bellamy—while Abby pulled back and looked at her daughter with impatient eyes.

"What did she say?" asked the Chancellor. "Is there a chance for a truce?"

_Deliver me the one you call 'Finn'._

_Our truce begins with his death. _

"Y-Yes," Clarke stammered.

"What's wrong?" It came from Finn, of course, who observed Clarke desperately trying to avoid his eyes and deduced quickly that Clarke was not okay. She couldn't help herself. She tried not to look at him, she tried to ease into what she was about to say, but there was no easy way to say what they wanted. It was clear-cut, absolutely no transparency. She went over it a thousand times in her head and the Commander's words gave her no room to bargain.

"They want you." The words spilled out of her mouth before she could filter them. Clarke turned and looked at the five people surrounding her, completely aware of the ring forming from the general population eager to hear what deal Clarke struck with the Grounder Commander. "If we want a truce, we have to give them Finn."

People whispered the crowd, indistinct murmurs that none of those on the inside ring could hear. They pondered this ultimatium silently as Raven earned Clarke's attention, stepping forward with her eyes wide and on the verge of flaring a nasty angry color.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's their offer."

"That's not an offer—"

"It's a punishment," Finn concluded in a monotone. "For what happened at the village. Blood for blood."

"That's insane," Bellamy muttered behind Clarke.

Alessia swallowed, disgusted, and snapped, "It's barbaric, that's what it is!"

"If we refuse?" Abby asked, exploiting a question they all answered silently. Even those who stood around them knew the truth, and that's why the whispers were getting louder. Every passing second they discussed the situation, a murmur grew into a statement, and then the statement turned into a shout. Clarke tried to shut out the pounding in her head as she answered the question aloud with the words everyone thought.

"They attack."

"I say we give him up!" shouted someone from the crowd.

"Get rid of him!" another added.

"Easy, people!" Major Byrne tried to rally the citizens behind her, attempting to push them back with her hand and keep them quiet. But Byrne could only do so much, and from behind her, a man stepped out and looked at the five inside of the circle with narrowed eyes.

"Give him to the Grounders!" he demanded darkly. It just so happened that the one who stepped out and made his opinion public knowledge was standing too close to the furious Raven, who took the man's step forward as a hesitant attack against Finn. She shoved the man back and away from Finn, but Clarke stepped between them and pried Raven away from the man as Bellamy handled the rest, shoving the man back in his place amongst the outer ring. Abby looked to Byrne to try and maintain the order within the courtyard, and while Clarke was busy talking Raven down and Bellamy was busy fighting off others who stepped forward, Alessia pulled her gun back into her hands and stepped in front of Finn, pushing him behind her protection. Finn stared at the crowd, frozen, watching as people he knew fought to give him up as if he were yesterday's garbage.

"Stay the hell behind me," Alessia commanded Finn, keeping a hand out in front of his body to shield him away from the riot that was starting to form. Another man stepped out from within the crowd and pointed an accusing finger at Finn.

"I'm not dying for him! Spacewalker burned three months of oxygen from the Ark! He should've floated a long time ago! Throw him out!"

"Back off!" Raven shotued as she fought her way out of Clarke's grasp and punched the accusing man in the face. She felt another hand come around her wrist and so she backlashed, unconsciously hitting Major Byrne in the nose. Before she could have a chance to react, two of the Guards restrained Raven and she kicked at them, officially hostile. Clarke watched as Raven was dragged away and she listened to all the screaming citizens around her, begging them to sacrifice Finn to save their own lives.

She couldn't breathe. Despite the chaos, there was no one within five feet of her, but she still felt like she was being suffocated. And still, her heart raced, her head pounded, and the Commander's words echoed in her head.

_Deliver me the one you call 'Finn'. _

_Our truce begins with his death. _

* * *

Bellamy and Alessia found Finn and Murphy sitting behind a piece of wreckage, presumably hiding from the still bitter Arkers wanting his head on a stick. They assumed Finn wasn't willingly sitting with Murphy, but regardless of why Finn and Murphy were in each other's presence, they walked up to them quickly and informed Finn of the current situation.

"Hey," Bellamy greeted quickly, "We're reinforcing all the defenses. Doubles on the perimeter. No one's getting past that wire."

Finn pulled himself up on his feet quickly and inhaled with a sharp breath. "I'll see where they're thin."

"No. You should head inside. B corridor will be easier to defend...if it comes to that."

He shook his head. "I'm not gonna hide."

"We're trying to keep you safe, Finn, whether that means you have to hide or not," Alessia reasoned softly, giving him a stern, yet compassionate look. She shifted and gestured behind her. "Clarke's, uh, talking to Lincoln. She's gonna try to figure a way out of this mess, okay? But right now, we need you to do what we ask. Please."

"Come on. Finn," Bellamy urged, leading Finn away from Alessia and Murphy. Finn was clearly hesitant, but Bellamy persisted. As soon as Bellamy and Finn were on their way, Alessia turned to go and stand her position at the gate, but before she could manage two steps, Murphy stood on his feet and called out for her.

"Hey! Any orders for me, Robin Hood?"

"Go float yourself, Murphy."

Alessia turned to walk away, but she heard him shout, "Just trying to be helpful!"

Kane stopped, dead in her tracks, listening as Murphy scoffed to himself like she was being unreasonable. Sharply, Alessia pivoted around with cold eyes as she snapped at him, "Were you trying to be helpful when you tied me up and tricked Bellamy into hanging himself?" Murphy watched her inch forward, and he tried not to speak while she continued her rant. "Were you trying to be _helpful _when you shot me in the leg? Or how about when you knocked me unconscious?"

"Oh, come on..." Murphy scoffed, opening his mouth to protest to her accusations. But by that point, she had neared too close to him, and in one swoop she his gun on the ground as her two hands twisted his arm back in a way it shouldn't bend. She continued, fire burning in her eyes. Murphy shouted more, trying to salvage any remainder of his dignity, but it was beginning to attract attention from their fellow peers. Alessia went off at him without caring.

"What about when you shot Raven? Tell me, huh? When exactly was it that you were trying to be helpful? Maybe it was when you stood by like an idle idiot while Finn massacred an entire village—!"

"Alessia!" Suddenly, she felt a strong pair of arms knock down her hands from Murphy's shoulders and force her back. Alessia stared at Murphy with a burning passion, barely noticing that it was Calix who restrained her against attacking Murphy more. Calix shook her, trying to snap her out of the daze she was in. "What the hell is the matter with you? Abby won't even blink before throwing you in with Jaha and Raven!"

"Let her," Alessia said softly, her eyes focused on Murphy. He didn't show it, but deep down, she knew he was intimidated. "That son of a bitch didn't even come _close _to getting what he deserves!"

"You want to blame someone?" Murphy spat. "Blame your Princess, Robin Hood. Finn was out there looking for _her_."

Alessia made a move towards him, but Calix held her tightly to resist her blows as he turned around at Murphy with irritated eyes. "Murphy, if you value your life, get the hell away from here. Now!"

Though Murphy didn't like to believe he was one to stand down from a fight, he decided upon reaching down to grab his gun and scurrying off to avoid Alessia's rage. When he was at a safe distance, Calix finally stopped blocking Alessia's attempts and she shoved him off of her with all of her upper strength, spitting out, "You had no right!"

"You think you can help Finn with handcuffs around your wrists?" Calix retorted, crossing his arms and watching as she frustratedly tousled her hair free of sweat and fury. They were quiet for a while before he continued, "He needs you out here where you're useful. You sure you can do that or do you need me to take over for you?"

"I'm fine. I don't need _help_, Calix. I'm fine."

"No one said anything about help, Alessia. You just assulted Murphy and nearly broke his—"

"Why do you even care?!" she shouted, quite unexpectedly; but once it was out there was no way to reign it back in. Alessia let out a frustrated breath as she tried to walk away, but then turned back around with an accusative finger of her own. "No, you...you were supposed to be dead! You were supposed to have died a year ago! And I spent that entire year hating my father because of what he did to you but there was no reason to hate him! If anything, you're the one I should've been angry at! It doesn't matter how you were able to escape or...or how you were released; all that matters is that you should've told me."

"You were in solitary confinement," he argued.

"It doesn't matter!" Alessia exclaimed, but at this point, her voice sounded more desperate than it was angry. He stared at her with guilty eyes. "You found a way to hatch a plan that would feed an entire meal hall of malnourished people on the Ark. You could've found a way to see me. Or at least have tried. But instead, you didn't. You led me to think that I was alone."

Calix stared at her and watched as the teenager calmed down after a moment or two, and then she shook her head, closed her eyes, and turned on her heel to leave. But before she could, he called out her name to bring her back.

"Alessia..."

She felt him start to hesitantly move towards her, and therefore, she spun around sharply and held up a cautious hand. "Don't, Calix. I shouldn't have brought it up in the first place. I have more important things to worry about than discussing why you did what you did and why you were even pardoned in the first place. Our friend could be handed off to the enemy as a peace treaty. I need to do my job. I'll be damned if I'm gonna let Finn die."

And this time when she stormed off, no one stopped her. She shoved all irrelevant thoughts to the very back corner of her brain and took her position at the front gate.

* * *

"Jus drein jus daun!"

"Jus drein jus daun!"

"Jus drein jus daun!"

The chanting came from deep within the forest outside of their gates, but it was delivered by a large enough crowd—presumably the Grounder army—meaning to taunt them into giving Finn over. The collective chant was so large that anyone with a right mind in Camp Jaha could see that if they started a war, they wouldn't live to finish it. The two riders who had accompanied Clarke back from the Commander's tent were still patiently waiting outside of the gates, desperate to drag Finn's body back with them so their debt was paid. It was finally daylight, and though Alessia was running on thirty minutes of sleep she managed to get while Bellamy took over her position for a while, her focus was just as good as ever. All of the soldiers in Camp Jaha squirmed hearing the repetitive chanting, and Alessia could see the fear in their eyes. Somewhat quietly to those around her, she instructed them not to be afraid. She could hear Bellamy say the same thing by his post at the door of the entrance into one of the Ark stations, and she realized the both of them wer one the same page: they were screwed.

Suddenly, Alessia watched as Dr. Griffin made her way down the empty strip from the Ark door to the main gates. She instructed the guards at the gate to stand back and open it, and they listened to their Chancellor without hesitation. Alessia followed in line behind her, coming up beside Bellamy.

"Messiah, what the hell is she doing?" Alessia muttered under her breath. Bellamy shifted to avoid Clarke hearing.

"I don't know; just pray it isn't something stupid."

"Where's the boy?" one of the riders asked Abby as soon as she faced them with nothing to protect her from an attack. Abby stood tall and looked the riders right in the eye, though she technically couldn't see them because of the masks they wore.

"We're not giving him up. We're ready to fight, if that's what it comes to!"

And as she finished her declaration, a horn sounded in the distance and the riders took off, either by the signal of the horn or by Abby's declaration, it wasn't clear. She watched them ride away and instantly, Bellamy and Alessia behind her both gripped their guns with weapons extremely hot.

"Watch the woods! Watch for movement!" Bellamy commanded the soldiers. Clarke, who was standing next to Bellamy, looked out into the distance and squinted as she saw something peculiar behind a piece of a fallen tree.

"Bellamy..." Clarke warned, tilting her head in the direction of the movement. Bellamy heeded Clarke's warning, cocking his gun right as the movement spoke to them.

"Don't shoot!"

The voice rang out through the forest and shocked everyone at the camp to their core as they realized who the voice belonged to. Clarke's eyes widened to the size of the moon as she saw the figure emerge from the trees with his hands up in the air, surrendering peacefully. Bellamy saw who it was, too, and reluctantly moved back his weapon.

"Alessia, that's..."

"That's my dad," she finished quietly, the gun already lowered to her hip. Marcus Kane walked up the pathway from the forest up to the entrance of the Camp Jaha gate, greeting Abby as soon as he reached the top of the hill. Alessia stepped forward wearily, but observed Abby and Marcus's exchanges first and foremost.

"Marcus."

"Chancellor."

Abby noticed the bruises on his face, the healing wounds coinciding with the timeline for how long he was gone. She took a deep breath and confessed, "I was afraid that I wouldn't see you again."

"I had those fears, myself." He nodded. But when he looked over Abby's shoulder, that's when he his daughter merely a few strides away from him and Abby. She waited patiently, though she looked shocked to see him. He couldn't tell whether his daughter would be happy or upset or unbothered to see him, but it didn't matter to Marcus. Through the Culling, he became repentant. All he wanted was her forgiveness because no matter what they'd been through, they were family. Therefore, he walked past Abby and stepped up to face Alessia for the first time in months, a wave of relief crashing over him as he observed her unharmed person. "Alessia..."

"You're alive," she noted. Kane nodded slowly.

"Yes. I'm alive."

She hesitated for a few seconds. Those seconds, Marcus waited in agony, expecting her to turn extremely standoffish and say something he really didn't want to hear after the rough time he'd been having since making the passage to the ground. Instead, surprisngly, she let out a relieved sigh and nodded, her lips turning up happily.

"I'm glad," Alessia admitted. A relieved smile spread across Marcus's lips before he stepped forward and brought his daughter into a hug; one of the few that they'd ever had. She was taken off guard by the sudden embrace, but after a few seconds, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around her dad, grateful that the Grounders had let him go.

Marcus kissed the top of her head and said quietly, "I'm happy you're okay, Alessia."

"More or less," she muttered as she pulled away from him after no more than a few-second, very Kane-like hug. Before Marcus was able to say anything else, Bellamy stepped up beside Alessia and touched her arm cautiously before looking up at the two of them.

"Hey...we can't be out in the open. We need to get somewhere safe," Bellamy suggested. Kane chuckled lightly.

"It's safe for the moment." He turned around and looked at Abby, who was just a few paces behind him. "Come on. We need to talk. I managed to buy us a bit of time."

The Chancellor nodded and a few seconds later, she and Kane were walking towards the Ark station. When they were gone, Alessia took in a deep breath, regripped her gun, and took a brief moment to collect herself before clearing her throat and announcing, "All right, show's over! Close the gate and get back to your positions!"

"Close it up!" Major Byrne repeated seconds after Alessia's command. There must've been an obvious look of annoyance on Alessia's face, for beside her, Bellamy caught her attention with a nudge.

"Let her have this one, Robin Hood. Come on." He gestured to the Ark station and with a sigh, Alessia nodded and followed him and Clarke into the station. Clarke broke off from them a few seconds after they entered, presumably to find Finn, but Bellamy and Alessia continued down the hallway to the council room where Marcus and the Chancellor were likely to be. Of course, the room was guarded and sealed off so they could talk, so Alessia and Bellamy decided to stand in front of the room to wait for their meeting to come to an end.

"This isn't good," Alessia muttered to Bellamy as they stepped far enough away from the room to prevent the guards from eavesdropping on their conversation. She looked around wearily while crossing her arms as Bellamy observed her anxious look and listened to her speak. "I'm happy my dad's back, but...if history tells me anything, it's that he couldn't care less what happens to Finn as long as we have peace with the Grounders."

Bellamy put his hands on his hips and sighed. "Well, we're not going to let anything happen to him."

"Of course not." She scoffed. A silence passed between them, both avoiding the other's eyes, and at last, Alessia looked over at him and said softly, "But..."

"No 'but's—"

"But what if we can't save him?" she blurted out, causing him to swallow the lump in his throat. "We...we've lost so many people, Bellamy. Atom, Charlotte, Wells, Margot, and so many more. It's not right. None of them deserved to die and if Finn—"

"Don't...don't do that to yourself." Bellamy reached forward and gripped her shoulders gently, forcing her to stop mid-sentence and look at him as he shook his head. "Alessia, things...happen down here. It's not like the Ark. Our biggest problem isn't oxygen or...not having enough food to ration. Wars don't care about who deserves and who doesn't deserve to go. We're fighting a war, Alessia. And in wars, people die."

She was reluctant for a moment, but then told him, "We can't let him die."

"We won't." Bellamy and Alessia turned their heads to see Raven as she hesitantly approached them from the opposite hallway, obviously doing exactly what they were trying to do—wait around for the verdict to be decided. Bellamy tore his hands off of Alessia and straightened as they both turned their whole bodies to face her and include her in the conversation. Raven looked at them seriously. "People die in wars, yeah. But it sure as hell isn't going to be Finn. Not if I have anything to do with it."

"Kane's in there with the Abby now," Bellamy filled her in. "She told the Grounders we won't be handing Finn over."

"It's a start," Raven agreed half-heartedly. The three looked at each other cautiously, all of them aware that this wasn't the end. There was so much more to come. That's why they all nearly jumped when they saw movement out of the corners of their eyes, watching as Abby exited the sealed-off quarters, saying nothing with a blank expression on her face. She noticed Raven, Bellamy, and Alessia, but simply walked past them. Raven demanded answers as soon as Abby was out in the open and quickly she and Bellamy followed the Chancellor with intent. Alessia was about to go after the Chancellor with them, but before she could, she saw Kane walk towards the door, looking to speak with her. She opted to stay with him instead and observed as two guards were taking Chancellor Jaha away back to his prison quarters.

"Alessia, you should be outside watching the gate," Marcus scolded. She crossed her arms at him.

"Finn's my friend, Dad. What's going to happen to him?"

Kane sighed. "It's complicated—"

"No, it's not complicated. I want to know what you're going to do to him. I have the right to know," she retorted quickly. Marcus, realizing that she was inevitably going to cause a scene because it's what she was most fond of, pulled her into the sealed-off quarters with him and beckoned for the guards to keep watch as the doors came to an automatic close. Once it was silent and they were surely alone inside of the control room, Kane nodded at her.

"Yes, you have a right to know, Alessia; but I'm not the Chancellor anymore. I don't have the authority to tell you."

"You're my dad. That automatically gives you the authority to tell me."

Marcus paused before crossing his arms slowly, cautiously changing the subject. "Why did they let you go? The Grounders, I mean."

Alessia shook her head. "We weren't with the Grounders. Clarke and I escaped from Mount Weather. We were taken after the explosion at the drop ship. But Finn and Bellamy had every right to think it was the Grounders after what we'd been through."

"Mount Weather? There's another society?"

"Yes. They live underground...can't go outside because of the radiation. But they're not an ally. We were prisoners there...or, they convinced us that we were 'guests' but weren't allowed to leave because it wasn't safe. Clarke and I found a secret room in their medical facilities—hundreds of Grounders caged like animals. They tried to hunt us down, but we escaped. But if they can do that to the Grounders—"

"What's to stop them from doing it to the rest of the 100...?" Marcus finished her thought with a solemn nod. They both stood around for a moment, thinking about that major question, but when the conversation went quiet, Kane exhaled and rubbed his forehead. "Look, Alessia, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Vera."

"You mean Grandma?"

"I told you not to call her that."

"But she told me to. I've been calling her that since I was a kid." Marcus nodded slowly and hung his head, and it hit her instantly. Alessia tensed. "No...she's dead, isn't she?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"The day we lost communications with you, it was because of the Unity Day explosion. She was too close to the bomb." Marcus straightened, as if trying to hold himself together. Alessia turned her head, desperate to keep herself from crying. "I tried to...save her...Abby was there, but...there was nothing we could've done. I thought you'd want to know." He looked over at her cautiously, observing his daughter as she bit down on her cheek and stayed silent for a moment. After a while, Marcus whispered, "I planted the tree, Alessia. For her."

Alessia looked up at him, surprised. "The Eden Tree?" He nodded as an answer. "But you hated it. You banned me from attending Grandma's speeches."

Kane looked at her regretfully, and she realized there was an unspoken apology hanging in the air. Alessia was hesitant for a while, reeling over the information that her grandmother had passed and confused over the newfound personality of her father. But it was when she realized that, though he didn't technically apologize, there was a way for him to make it up to her. Something that would help her forgive him. So as Marcus waited for her to speak, she took a deep breath and began.

"I saw the exodus ship crash." Kane looked down at his daughter and watched as she fought the words in her mouth. "And I...I thought you were on it. Clarke thought Abby was on it, too. We figured you both had died. When we came here and Abby said that you had gone to make peace with the Grounders, I was relieved that you weren't dead, but I knew there was a very good possibility that they would kill you." With a hard swallow, Alessia looked up at her father seriously. "And I meant what I said, Dad, I'm glad that you're not dead. With everything that's happened over the last few days, I'm happy to see you. But you need to tell me what's going on. Now. When you sent me down here, I changed; and not only do I take care of myself, I take care of my friends. Finn is my friend."

Marcus was quiet. He showed reluctance in his eyes, but she held his gaze as long as it took for him to crack. He realized what she was asking of him, and after a long hesitation, he finally put his hands on his hips, let his eyes roam around the room for a moment, and then he used his information as an apology towards his daughter.

"The Grounders won't stop, Alessia." He tried to be as gentle as he could with the words, but there was nothing else to say. She stiffened. "The only thing we can do is promise to take care of it ourselves. It's either that or inevitable torture from them. He murdered an entire village. If we want to avoid a war, we can't let that go. You have to understand..."

She didn't understand. He knew that as well as she did. She turned around, the automatic doors parting for her, and ignored her father's calls as he tried to gain her attention back. Alessia stormed out of the quarters and briskly walked down the corridors of the station until she finally found Bellamy and Raven standing around in the middle of the hallway, either arguing or talking briskly with each other. She wasn't sure, but with intent, she stormed over to them and interrupted their conversation regardless of what they were talking about.

"We need to get Finn out of here," Alessia hissed under her breath. Raven and Bellamy turned at her, surprised.

"Why?" Raven prompted.

"They're not gonna hand him over, they're gonna kill him here. Or at least, they're going to talk the Grounders into letting them execute Finn themselves." Alessia looked around wearily, her eyes cold and determined. "So here's the plan: we're gonna take Finn to the drop ship until we figure out a plan. Too many people around here want him dead. If Abby negotiates with the Grounders, the likelihood of it is that he's going to be executed anyways. It'll be more humane, but it's not an option. Raven, can you and Wick still turn off the fence?"

Raven, who had been listening with alarm, stuttered, "Y-Yeah."

"Good. Go now. Meet at the same place." Raven, though shocked, managed to muster enough strength to nod and turn around, practically sprinting to go get Wick's help. Alessia turned to Bellamy, who was standing by her side hanging onto every word. "I need to find Finn. Get whatever supplies you can. I'll meet you at the gate."

"What about Clarke?"

"I'll find her too. Go."

Though reluctant, Bellamy eventually nodded and walked past Alessia to do what she asked. After he was gone, she determinedly walked through the halls of the station until she finally found Clarke and Finn, both oblivious to them being surrounded by other Arkers all looking at Finn with evil eyes, waiting for him to be turned in to save all of their own asses.

"Finn!" Alessia called out, earning Clarke and Finn to both turn to give her their attention. She came to a stop upon reaching them and in a lower voice, she demanded, "We're leaving."

"What?" Clarke asked, confused. Alessia turned to her with a nod.

"We have to get him out of here, Clarke."

"Where would we go?"

"Come on." Alessia practically dragged Finn with her so they could start moving. Only then did she answer Clarke's question. "We're taking him to the drop ship, Clarke."

"No! You know that this is the safest place for him right now—"

"They're turning on him, Clarke! If we get out now, we can buy some time at the drop ship so we can figure out a plan to get him the hell away from here. Bellamy's grabbing our gear, I suggest you do the same. We'll meet at Raven's gate in five. She's going to cut the power to the fence agian."

Finn stopped in the middle of the crowded hallway. "Okay, but nobody's coming with me."

Alessia turned around at him sharply. "You don't get that choice, Spacewalker. It's the way it has to be."

Before Finn could reply, Clarke stepped forward and looked at Alessia with protest. "We are _surrounded _by Grounders!"

"We've evaded them before, Clarke. Split up, take the low ground like we usually do. Then we'll meet at the drop ship and come up with a strategy to get the target off of his back."

"There he is!" someone shouted, and all three of them turned their heads to see a man from the crowd earlier step forward, a look of disgust on his face seeing Finn standing with Alessia and Clarke nearly a few feet away. An entire band of older men stepped forward behind him as if to provide support. The man pointed at Finn accusingly. "You are gonna get us killed—!"

The man moved to strike, but before he could, Alessia took two steps and used her elbow to knock the man back, ensuring that he had to hold his nose to keep it from bleeding. She most likely broke it, but she didn't care. The man's eyes widened at the blood that came from his nostrils and she looked around at the other followers.

"Anyone have anything to add? No? Good." She turned around at Finn and Clarke, who watched with complete unease at those who eyed Finn with the look the man with the broken nose had given, and Alessia muttered under her breath to Finn. "Change of plans. You and I will go together. This way I can keep you from getting stabbed in the back before we get back to the drop ship."

Clarke's breath shook as she turned around at Finn and said quietly, "She's right. We have to go."

With a hand on Finn's shoulder, Clarke pushed him forward and the two ran out of the station with Alessia covering their backs. She stuck around long enough to make sure that none of the men went after Clarke and Finn, and when enough time had passed, she backed away to get her own things to head out to the drop ship.

* * *

Alessia made it a point to cover Finn as they followed through with the plan: take the low ground and watch for any Grounders itching to take the chance at grabbing him. Clarke, Bellamy, and Raven were all split up, and though Bellamy tried to convince Alessia that splitting her and Finn up would be a good idea, she wouldn't risk the chance. Finn noticed her determination as they walked through the forest, her back facing him as she alertly noticed their surroundings. Most of their brisk-paced walking was silent; that was until Finn, who struggled to keep up with her, came right at Alessia's side with his gun to the ground and muttered, "You know, you're putting an awful lot of effort into this."

Without turning her head, she said flatly, "I'm not letting you die, Finn. Not on my watch."

A moment passed, and in that moment, Finn tried to understand why she would risk her life to prevent his death. They hadn't known each other like she and Clarke did; they hadn't slept together like she and Bellamy had. What was her reason? He wanted to ask more directly, but before he could, there was shuffling from a bush, causing Alessia to spin almost superhumanly, but she relaxed when Clarke came walking out of the clearing and joined them.

"Hey," Clarke whispered as she walked alongside with them. "See anything?"

"I thought we were splitting up," Finn replied, concerned. She scoffed.

"Not a chance." Alessia looked over at Clarke skeptically, but Clarke gave her a look that told her to back off. Without saying anything, Alessia stepped forward faster and managed to get a few feet away from Clarke and Finn to allow them to talk. She could hear murmurs behind her—mostly of Finn asking questions he knew no one had the answers to—but she attempted to block them out so she could climb the hill they needed to be able to get back to the drop ship site. She heard no responses from Clarke and looked behind her to make sure that the two were still alive and kicking, Alessia instantly regretted letting her guard down for that split second to check on her friends. She was the first to be injured; Clarke next. The Grounder swung a makeshift axe at her and she had seen it coming too late to move out of the way completely. The blade cut into her stomach and she lost wind in her knees, only left to watch as the Grounder attacked Clarke by swinging down and knocking her unconscious with his weapon, a blunt trauma straight to her head. Alessia struggled to get up, but when she put her hand on her stomach, she could feel moisture from the blood and realized the wound was worse than it looked. Finn engaged in combat with the Grounder who tried to grab him, but though Alessia was hurting, she desperately tried to lift herself from the floor and attack for Finn. As it turned out, he didn't need her help. The Grounder came to a sharp, cold stop when he could see the barrel of the gun Finn pointed in his face.

"I don't want to shoot you!" Finn shouted, his hands shaking. "Go! Get out of here!"

The Grounder fled, most likely because he knew the reputation of the sky-person holding him at gunpoint. Finn set down the weapon in his hands and let out a sigh of relief as they watched the Grounder take off deeper into the woods. Alessia cried out in pain as she lifted herself onto her knees and hovered for a moment, listening as Finn rolled over and brought himself up from the forest floor to observe those trying to protect him. Clarke was out cold, blood coating her hair and the side of her skull.

"No," Finn mumbled fearfully. He looked up at Alessia. "Oh, God, Alessia..."

"I'm fine. Fine," she assured him as she got up on two feet. But he could see the growing blood stain on her shirt, and she chose to ignore it and move on. Alessia gestured down at Clarke. "Carry her. Follow me. No more talking, okay?"

Reluctantly, Finn nodded, and she winced as she reached down for her gun and swung it over her shoulder. By the time she was situated, Finn had Clarke in his arms, and Alessia led him through the forest towards the drop ship. He followed her instructions and didn't talk, grunting as he carried Clarke through the forest. They reached the meeting site without delays, and Alessia held open the cover of the door so that Finn could bring the blonde through to set her down. Upon their arrival, Bellamy rushed forward, his eyes wide.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Grounder," Finn grunted. "Hit her on the head."

"Put her here," said Murphy as he guided Finn to set Clarke down on a pile of blankets they had moved into the drop ship when the virus was about the camp.

Bellamy bent down and shook his head at Murphy. "I need a...a bandage, a rag, anything!"

"Got it."

"Hold her head. Clarke, can you hear me? Clarke?" The blonde began to stir, causing them all to sigh in relief realizing that she would be okay. Bellamy nodded at her, even though her eyes were still closed. "You're gonna be fine. You just need to rest."

Clarke groaned or mumbled something indistict—Bellamy wasn't exactly sure—but when it was clear that Clarke would be okay, he looked up at Finn and Raven, who were in the midst of a discussion. But Alessia wasn't behind Finn or by Clarke's side. He'd seen her come in, but where did she go? Bellamy raised himself from the floor and looked around the lower level of the drop ship, confused.

"Where's Robin Hood?" Bellamy asked, interrupting Finn and Raven. They both looked at him and seemed to realize that she was missing. Suddenly, they heard a crash from the upper levels of the drop ship, and so Bellamy ran to the ladder and climbed up as fast as he could without tripping. He found her on the second level, thrashing back and forth. There was foam coming out of the side of her mouth and her eyes were rolled back into her head. Without skipping a beat, he rushed over and knelt at her side. "Alessia! Alessia!"

Behind him, Finn and Raven stepped onto the second level, their eyes wide at the sight. Raven gasped. "No. No, that's the poison, Bellamy!"

"What poison?" he growled back.

"The one that was on the dagger when Lincoln stabbed me," Finn filled in, running over to Bellamy's side to help. Bellamy tried to get Alessia to stay still, and as he did, Finn racked his brain and looked up at Raven. "We have more of it, right? The antidote? We never gave it back."

"_We_ didn't, yeah, but what if Octavia did?"

"Was there enough left in the bottle?"

"I-I think so—"

"Then find it!" Bellamy snapped at her. Raven nodded and moved to the ladder, where she climbed down the flight and went to go find the antidote that Lincoln had given them when Finn was nearing death's edge. Just as she was down there for a moment or two, Alessia suddenly stopped thrashing, her entire body limp. Bellamy shook her. "Alessia? Alessia!"

Finn shook his head. "She's not breathing."

"What happened to her?" he demanded, looking up at Finn and trying not to accuse him of anything.

"I don't know. The Grounder came out of nowhere! She was bleeding. Look," he suggested, pointing to her abdomen. Bellamy's focus and hands left her shoulders as he quickly moved down to her torso, lifted up her shirt, and they both observed the gruesome, fresh wound stretching from her left side towards her navel. It was deep enough to cause severe blood flow, but not deep enough that they could tell would cause severe damage. Before Bellamy could respond to the wound, Raven tossed something onto the floor and jumped up on the level, grabbing it back in her hand and rushing over to Bellamy and Finn.

"I got it. I think," she amended. Bellamy looked over at her, alarmed.

"What do you mean you 'think'?"

"They all looked the same, Bellamy! And I think some idiot was messing with them because half of them are almost empty like this one. But I'm pretty sure that this is the right one," Raven determined. He scoffed at her.

"It damn well better be," he growled before unscrewing the top of the lid and tossing it to the side. Finn held Alessia's head up as Bellamy slowly put the vial to her lips and it entered her system. There was only a few drops left in the bottle, and Bellamy prayed that it was enough. When the bottle was empty, he chucked it aside and Finn set her head down. Bellamy leaned over her, shaking his head. "Come on...wake up."

"We need to stitch up her cut," Finn noted, looking at Raven. "Is Clarke...?"

Raven shook her head softly. "She's not fully awake yet. But I saw her when she stitched you up. I can do it this time."

Bellamy looked up. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"You want to do it? Be my guest."

He frowned and didn't resopnd to her sarcastic comment, insuring that she would do it herself after Alessia woke. A few painstaking moments passed until Alessia did just that—her eyes opening slowly to look at the three faces of those surrounding her. She looked like hell—eyes with red rings around them, pale skin, and sweat blanketing her body. There was an instant sour frown on her lips when she saw Bellamy, Finn, and Raven all above her head, waiitng for her to say something.

"You're crowding me," she informed them. Instantly, they all slowly drifted away, though still watched as she opened her eyes fully and looked around at the three of them, choosing who was in her vision or not. "I was poisoned, wasn't I?"

"You didn't say anything?" Finn asked her, shocked. She turned her head to him and sighed.

"I thought the antidote was up here. Guess I was wrong." Alessia cleared her throat and sat up on her elbows, obsering the nasty wound exposed on her stomach. She winced. "Ouch. Clarke up yet?"

"You're stuck with me," Raven muttered. Alessia swallowed and laid back down on the floor.

"Bellamy, get me something to bite down on please. And Raven, you need the needle and thread Clarke used to stitch Finn up. Alcohol, too. I hid some of Monty's moonshine in the loose panel on the bottom level. Don't use all of it because I'm gonna need some. Finn..." She paused and then looked over at him. "Go stay with Clarke."

They all followed her orders, even though she was the one being operated on. Raven went first, then Bellamy, and lastly Finn. But before Finn could bring himself to leave the second floor and go down to the first, he stopped and turned around, walking back over to Alessia. He knelt down by her side and she brought herself back onto her elbows as she waited for him to speak. He hesitated, but at last, he spit it out.

"You've risked your life for me more than I can count today." He shook his head, confused. "Why?"

She let out a deep breath that somewhat burned. "The last time one of our friends died, it was because of me. I ducked out of the way when that Grounder came at me and Margot. If I...if I hadn't had ducked, she would still be alive. I'm not gonna duck anymore, Finn. I am _not_ going to let you die."

He stared at her, concerned. "That wasn't your fault, Alessia."

She opened her mouth to respond, but instead, after a moment, she shut it and gave him a soft smile instead, whispering. "Go stay with Clarke, Spacewalker. Be the first one she sees, okay?"

Finn wanted to protest to her lack of response, but Raven and Bellamy had hurried so quickly that they were already back with the supplies by the time she finished speaking. So to avoid being the one person standing in the way of the surgery she needed, he lifted himself up from the floor and walked over to the ladder, watching as Bellamy reluctantly put a rag between Alessia's teeth and Raven soaked the needle in her hand with a quart-sized bottle of Monty's moonshine. He continued moving down the ladder until he reached the first floor. Murphy was outside with a gun keeping watch and Clarke was lying on the floor, still as can be. He knelt down at her side and pulled his knees to his chest right as there was a loud, muffled cry from the level above.

* * *

They were surrounded.

Because of her injury, Alessia hadn't had the chance to see for herself how many Grounders were outside the permiter of their camp, but based on Bellamy's description, she would say that there were more than enough to outnumber them. Bellamy and Murphy peered through the sides of the tarp covering the drop ship's entrance, observing the Grounders as they conspiciously moved alongside the wall.

"They're not moving any closer," Murphy noticed.

"They're staying out of range. Probably waiting until it's dark." Bellamy moved back inside of the drop ship and sighed. Murphy turned around and looked at all of his peers.

"If we hit them now, at least we take them by surprise."

"We don't even know how many of them are out there," Clarke protested. He scoffed.

"I'm not hearing any better ideas, Clarke."

Raven paced back and forth. "We'll give them something."

Bellamy shrugged. "All they want is Finn."

"Finn wasn't the only one at the village."

Everyone looked over at Raven, who was shielding her eyes guiltily, but the words were still hanging in the air. Clarke widened her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Raven, hold on..." Bellamy scolded. But beside him, a light bulb finally went off in Murphy's head and he looked at the dark-haired mechanic with wild, offended eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; Raven, I came here to protect him! You were the one who wanted me to come. You—" He stopped short, realizing as he looked at Raven that it was exactly her plan. Her eyes said it all. She stared at Murphy with disgust and coldness, trying to remain strong. Everyone was quiet as Murphy hissed, "That's why you asked me to come along."

She didn't blink. "Enough Grounders saw him at the village. They'd believe he was the shooter."

"Sick bitch," he muttered.

"Raven...you don't mean this." Clarke shook her head.

Alessia dropped her crossed arms, though it hurt her to stand straight with her wound. She said quietly, "Look, I hate Murphy as much as the next guy, but framing him isn't the answer."

"You know what they do to people," Bellamy added.

"They want a murderer? We'll give them one." Raven lifted her gun from her side and pointed it right at Murphy's chest. "Drop your gun!"

Murphy tensed. "Go to hell, Raven."

"Put the gun down, Raven," Clarke reasoned. "Like it or not, he's one of us!"

"Drop it!" she demanded.

"Stop!" Finn stepped forward, pulling the gun in Raven's hand down so the barrel pointed at the floor. He stepped between Raven and Murphy and looked around at all of his friends. "We're not doing this. They've got us surrounded. The only thing we can do is stay and defend this place."

"I'm with you," Bellamy agreed.

Finn looked to his right. "Murphy, go upstairs. Watch the rear. Alessia, go with him. I'll take the lower level. You three take the front gate. That's the plan, all right?"

With a sour expression directed towards Raven, Murphy looked to his left and sighed at Alessia. "Come on, let's go. I'll help you."

She frowned and followed him towards the ladder. "Just because I defended you from getting handed over to a bunch of savages doesn't mean that I like you, Murphy; and it definitely doesn't mean I need your help." Bitterly, she and Murphy went upstairs upon Finn's orders. Bellamy turned to walk outside and Clarke went to grab her gun from the blankets on the floor. When most of them had cleared out, Raven turned to Finn.

"Hey. We got this," she told him firmly. Finn reached forward and pulled her into a hug, but he knew what was coming all too well. This wasn't an option anymore. This wasn't something they could stop. They couldn't figure this one out. He killed people; there was no way of repairing that with peace. There was only one thing left to do, and though he didn't want to do it, if he wanted to save the lives of his friends and of his people, there was no other way.

"May we meet again," he whispered against her shoulder. Raven, confused, pulled back and nodded.

"We will."

"Yeah," he agreed half-heartedly. With that, she took her gun and walked outside after Bellamy. Finn spotted Clarke on the floor grabbing her gun, and he walked over to the hatch on the lower level and opened it to climb inside. Before he did, however, he looked up at Clarke and did everything he could to keep the image of her inside of his head. "Be careful."

She let out a shaky breath. "Y-You too."

_Say something, _he pleaded, but she didn't. She got up from the floor and walked out of the drop ship, leaving him to sigh and do what he was meant to do all along. Raven, Clarke, and Bellamy all gathered in their positions out in the front, short one person because of Alessia's injury that kept her from being a part of the combat action. If it were up to her, she would be in the front lines defending Finn, but none of them would let her have more than a few bullets, which was why her services were best with Murphy.

"See anything?" Clarke asked Raven, who was but a few feet away from her.

"No." A few seconds passed, but then there was a rattle in the bushes and Raven saw through her rifle that there was something close in the distance. "Someone's coming! There!" All three of them turned their guns, but as they readied their fingers on the trigger, they all stopped. Raven lifted her head and gasped. "Finn?"

And there he was: at the front of hte gate, just beyond the makeshift border, with his hands held in the air to surrender to the Grounders. Clarke's eyes widened.

"No!" She quickly scrambled herself up form the floor as she watched Grounders emerge from the forest and grab Spacewalker from his place on the ground. "Finn!"

But it was too late. Before they could even think about sprinting after him, the Grounders had swept Finn up and captured him without fail, taking him in their custody to await his certain death.

* * *

Everyone at Camp Jaha gathered by the farthest gate, overlooking thousands of glowing lights and houses that the Grounders set up just outside the vicinity. Alessia, Bellamy, Raven, Clarke, Abby, and Kane were all standing in the front, overlooking the rawdy crowd.

"What is that?" Raven asked Clarke reluctantly, shaking in her shoes. Clarke nearly threw up her own words.

"They want us to watch."

"We're gonna get him," Bellamy said optimistically, speaking to Kane beside him. "We'll get in close and we'll hit them hard."

Marcus sighed. "Son...there's thousands of them. Even if we could kill hundreds, they'd still wipe out this camp and your friend would still die."

"We have to do something," Alessia barked at her father, turning to him. He looked over at her with a pitiful look as she said coldly, "You're the one who taught me that we can't give up when something gets tough. Even when something's impossible. We have to try."

Kane looked at her, and though he admired the way she took his life-lessons, he shook his head, telling her that they could not do anything about their situation. Raven desperately turned to the Chancellor beside her.

"Abby..." she said quietly, but the Chancellor, who watched with watering eyes, did not respond. "Abby! We have to do something!"

"No, Raven..." Abby replied apologetically. Raven stared in disbelief, but she turned back at the crowd, her tears about to roll over in her eyes. Suddenly, Alessia turned and stormed out of the crowd. Clarke and Bellamy exchanged a concerned glance and the two of them promptly took after her, Raven following shortly after that. Alessia had managed to get past the crowd of Arkers and she was storming the opposite direction towards the main gate. Clarke and Bellamy slowed her down.

"Alessia!" Clarke grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?"

"I'm doing what no one else is!" She yanked her arm back and stared at Clarke coldly. "This is _not _happening. Not on my watch. I'm _not _going to let him die; how many times do I have to make myself clear?!"

"You can't stop this," Bellamy told her firmly. "Not alone."

Clarke paused as Alessia looked at the dark-haired Messiah with angry, yet understanding eyes, and with a sigh, Clarke shoved her bag to Alessia. "Take this."

Bellamy looked at Clarke as she started to walk away, confused. "Clarke, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to talk to the Commander. Alessia might not be able to stop her, but I might."

Alessia turned around at Clarke. "What will you say?"

"I don't know!"

"Clarke!" they heard, and when she turned around, Clarke noticed Raven rushing up to her, the tears drying up on her face. Raven reached into her pocket and nodded at the blonde. "Give me your hand."

Reluctantly, Clarke let Raven take her hand and put something in her sleeve. In the dim light of Camp Jaha, she could see a hint of silver. A blade. Raven looked up at Clarke seriously.

"If she won't let him go, kill her. Things'll go crazy and we'll grab you and Finn." Clarke was quiet, but Raven stressed further, "Clarke, you have to help him. I owe him my _life_."

The blonde said nothing. She turned around and watched as Bellamy reluctantly opened the gate for her and allowed Clarke to leave the camp to talk to the Commander. Raven promptly walked back to the crowd, holding onto the last bit of hope that the Commander would show mercy. Bellamy turned around after Clarke left and watched Alessia, who stood frozen in the field, almost as if she was unsure what she was doing to herself.

"Let's go back," he suggested. She shook her head.

"I can't. I can't watch it."

"Maybe Clarke—"

"No." She held up a hand to stop him from coming any closer to her, and she backed away from him anxiously, moving towards the Ark station. Her hand clenched ino a fist as she hissed, "We ducked, Bellamy. We ducked."

She took off in a sprint, going back into the station, determined to be alone. There were some wanderers here and about—mostly parents with kids they didn't want watching the murder outside. She didn't blame them. Alessia moved down the hallways alone, her head spinning, her stomach hurting, but nevertheless relentless and at so much unease she couldn't find a spot to lie down. It must've taken her at least five minutes to find a darkened corner—one of the more usntable places of the station. They'd sealed it off, but she ducked underneath the faulty wires, pushed open the manual doors, and stood around in a pool of electrical nightmares. It was pin-drop silent outside and she knew that the time was coming near. She didn't want to see it or think about it, but she knew that it was getting closer. Closer by every second. Clarke couldn't stop it. She would try, but she couldn't. If she had any mind at all, the best thing she could do was put Finn out of his misery with that blade. There was nothing more she could do because the Grounders were nothing but savages. The Mountain Men were monsters, but the Grounders earned the title of savages long ago. Peace seemed distant and cruel, considering what they had to give up. She didn't want peace with them; who did after this? But it was unavoidable and painfully ironic. Finn would die. The Grounders would become their friends.

And then there was a sharp, piercing female scream. It was Raven, no doubt. Soon after, the Grounders erupted in a unified scream of anger, and that's when she knew it was over. All the anger inside of her exploded and she kicked the wall closest to her so hard that she fell on her bottom, landing against the wall adjacent to the one she assaulted. A bunch of electrical sparks flew out from loose wires around her, but she ignored them and buried her head in her hands, desperate for the silence in the wake of their friend.

_Our truce begins with his death. _

* * *

**This is like the saddest chapter I've ever written :( I never liked the fact that Finn died but it's stupidly necessary for the rest of the season to progress. I hope it didn't disappoint more than it should have because Finn dying sucked so much, having a chapter that sucked too would kind of just be like hitting you in the face twice. Anyways, hope you all liked it. **

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

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**ambrosesdixon: **That entire sequence was so intense like I'm not even lying. The entire time I was writing it, I felt embarrassed for Bellamy, Calix, and Alessia because it was such an unfortunate and petty situation but then somehow Alessia and Bellamy ending up kissing...which I'm not exactly sure why it happened, but it did, so I decided to go with it. Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter too! And I also hope you didn't die from it again because that seems like it would suck.

**HALEBTRASH**: It's here!

**FoxFan88: **Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked it!

**Pluv143000: **Thank you! Aw that's so sweet. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Kane reunion is here! More Kane-family drama/development through this season and I'm already planning some big Alessia/Marcus interactions in Season 3 which will be nice to see. Kane will be finding out a lot about her life on the ground through the next couple chapters when he starts to a) see how she functions with her people, b) how bellamy reacts to alessia and vice versa, and c) the tension that keeps increasing between Calix and Alessia. Haha maybe it will, maybe it won't! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the review!

**RHatch89: **Haha love that! :)

**Guest: **It's here! I'm more excited for what happens in the next few chapters with them. Got some interesting family conversations going on soon. Thanks for the review!

**pureO: **Calix has some issues that he'll be working out later in this season. Right now, he's a little offended and hurt and Alessia doesn't know how to deal with him, nor does he know how to deal with himself for that matter. Yeah, the chapters were a little short because those episodes were pretty cut and dry but this one was relatively long! I hope. Belessia is awesome and I'm excited for the rest of Season 3 to come along. Though Bellamy leaves in the next episode (I think it's the next episode) and I'm not all that happy about it but it's got to happen. There were definitely enough Finn/Alessia moments this chapter and I purposely put them in there because I couldn't bear to see Finn go without hanging out with Alessia a few times. Well I hope you're not a crying mess now! Sorry the update was a little late but I'm happy you're enjoying the story! Thanks for reviewing!

**Pompeii1224: **Belessia coming up and Kane reunion here for you! Well, maybe there was some Belessia in this chapter too. Still deciding how much Belessia I want in the next chapter...we'll see. Thanks for reviewing!

**LovelyFandomLover: **Thanks! Yeah, Calix isn't all that bright when it comes to Alessia. The Kane reunion was extremely hard for me to write just because of their tense history but I think I did as much as I could for them. They'll grow throughout the season and into the third, though, so it'll be fun to watch. Thanks for the review!

**Aileen O'Neill: **Kane reunion check. 2x13 and 2x16 are a long way to go but we're getting there! Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

**sarahmichellegellarfan1: **Thanks! :)

**Guest: **Haha well I'm happy that it made you fangirl. Like I said before I don't know what possessed me to make them kiss last chapter but it happened so I went with it. I was sad because I just like Finn in general (though he kind of made me angry with this whole murdering an entire village nonsense) even though I like Bellarke but yeah, this chapter definitely made me cry as well because of his death and Alessia's feelings towards it. SPACEHOOD?! I LOVE IT. I LITERALLY LOVE IT. LIKE WHY COULDN'T WE HAVE COME UP WITH THIS BEFORE HE HAD TO DIE?! Ugh. Anyways, yes, Alessia and Wick are basically bffs already because they were bffs before when she was with Calix but SpaceHood can never be replaced. Here's the update! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the review and the friendship name :)

**Tr: **Haha thank you! Here's the update! Hope you liked it!

**A: **Calix will get worse before he gets better. This chapter kinda marks the point where he stops getting worse...I think. I don't know, we'll see about that lol but he'll get better when he stops worshipping the ground Alessia walks on. That kiss was pretty awesome I will admit it gave me feels too. Belessia gives everyone feels. Well, I don't know, maybe someone out there likes Calix and Alessia more than they like Bellamy and Alessia but idk who those people are. Aw thank you! I hope you liked this chapter! Thank you for the review!

**Milk: **Thanks! Haha yeah that was the point. Alessia doesn't take shit from them. Well it's here and I hope you liked it! Thanks for the review!

**Bee-Back: **Haha I'm happy you liked that. Yeah, like I've said before he will definitely become his own character (more towards the end of Season 2 after the bombing at Tondc and towards the beginning of Season 3) and he'll find some happiness after a while and he and Alessia will be friends but for now he just has to get worse before he gets better. And, you know, Alessia's not really helping it all that much because she's being a bit of a brat and she's blaming him for things he shouldn't be blamed for and she's treating him and Bellamy like they're children/idiots and really there's nothing wrong with both of them loving her, but she finds it to be insulting almost. So it's partially her fault that he's acting this way. I tried to give Alessia and Finn some moments before his death and her reaction to that moment definitely made me want to cry just because she really has bad luck with people dying around her. Kane reunion is here! I think Bellamy leaves for Mount Weather in the next chapter so it's not too soon. I haven't decided on what I want to do because there are two options: it can be a very Belessia-like moment where they don't say anything and he just goes or there can actually be interaction. I feel like since they've kissed and other things I don't want them to interact before he goes just for the sake of Belessia becoming stronger. But regardless, it will most likely give everyone Belessia feels so there's no need to worry. Anyways, thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Guest: **Thanks! Sorry, I know, I've been caught up with school and stuff. Here's the chapter! Hope you liked it!


	22. Remember Me

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

_Soundtrack:_ "Whiskey" by Marian Hill

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**Remember Me**

_Life sucks. Then,__ you die._

She could hear the faint footstep echoes from down the hall of the abandoned Ark station sector she was hiding in. They inched closer, second by second, though it felt like it was taking a thousand years between one tap and the next. Her head pounded, her heart raced, and she didn't even blink. There was a ringing sound in her ears as she stared at the electrical mess at her feet while clenching and unclenching her fist, almost out of habit.

_This isn't anything new. I've known this since I was old enough to form coherent sentences. That's what you learn when you're the daughter of a pessimistic realist. _

Neither one of them said a word. She knew that someone was standing perpendicular to her position, but did it matter? Not really. Their friend was gone. Their lives would be forever changed. This was the point of no return. But who was it? Bellamy? Calix? Raven? Clarke? No. None of them.

Her voice was small. "Is it over?"

_But we often forget what comes in between._

Marcus looked down at his blank-faced daughter and hesitated, concerned. Immediately, her eyes snapped up, impatiently expecting an answer. Clearing his throat, Marcus shifted and nodded.

"Clarke has, um, made a deal with the Commander. Finn's body will be taken to the village where the massacre happened and he will be burned with the deceased."

He waited, watching Alessia's reaction closely. For a split moment, he could see her open her mouth, as if to protest to the cruelty, but she decided against it and just closed her mouth shut and stared at the floor for the following moments. Marcus wanted to say something, but there wasn't really much he could. He wasn't good at that kind of stuff when it came to his daughter. Perhaps once in a while he would say something useful to her, but more often than not, she made it clear that everything he's told her has been insulting. And if there was one thing he didn't want to do so soon after her friend was murdered, it was insult her.

So all he did was lean down and extend a hand, prompting her to get up from the dangerous floor she was lying on. Alessia eyed his willing fingers and then wandered up to her father's eyes, which were identical to hers, and took a few precious moments to think. He waited, expecting her to take his help, but instead, she lifted herself from the floor without touching his hand and took a deep breath. Marcus reluctantly retracted his hand as Alessia carefully walked past him without saying a word.

Kane looked at the path his daughter left behind and took his own breath. He'd forgotten what it was like with her. Maybe he wasn't all rainbows and sunshine, but she was certainly no picnic, either. But it was true what they said: like father, like daughter.

Alessia walked outside of Ark Station and into the light of the early morning peaking over the horizon. It hurt her eyes for a moment, but she paused very briefly before spotting Clarke grabbing a gun from one of the soldiers in charge of distributing the weapons. With a deep exhale, Alessia moved towards the soldier and retrieved a gun from his as well. Clarke had stepped to the side to load her weapon, and as she saw Alessia's appearance, she looked up and slowed down, cautious of her friend that had done the same, stepping off to the side and swinging the gun over her shoulder. Clarke didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. The look on her face told Alessia everything. She knew it would happen, too. She knew that Clarke would go there and find a way to end Finn's suffering, she would've done the same thing if she'd loved Finn the way Clarke did. It was something that Clarke needed to do alone, and she did it. And now she felt guilty, which was understandable. But what could Alessia say? There was nothing to make that pain go away. Absolutely nothing.

The conversation didn't really start until Alessia noticed Calix come up behind Clarke, a very solemn look on his face. She begged that he wouldn't say anything about Finn, but it was Calix after all. Clarke looked over her shoulder and watched as he sighed.

"You two heading out with the Grounders?" he asked. Clarke looked at Alessia, prompting her to respond, but Alessia was quietly loading her gun, so she turned back to Calix herself and nodded, though his focus wasn't on her.

"Yeah. Are you staying here?"

Calix nodded. "Someone's gotta hold down the fort, don't you think?"

"Good idea," Alessia agreed from behind Clarke, looking up for a split second to lock eyes with Calix and give him an approving nod. "You're in charge of the perimeter while we're gone...no matter what Byrne thinks, okay?"

Calix nodded. "Got it."

"Hey!" Clarke, Calix, and Alessia all turned their heads to see a tall, olive-skinned, dark-haired female making their way to them. Calix froze, Alessia stiffened, and Clarke confoundedly looked from her two friends over to Zoe Mathis, who jogged over and approached the three standing by the weapons gate. She gave them all a smile and then turned to Clarke. "Clarke Griffin, right?"

"Um, yeah. And you are...?"

"What are you doing, Z?" Calix asked hesitantly, eyeing Alessia beside him. Zoe looked at him and shrugged.

"I heard you guys were gearing up to go with the Grounders to that village where the massacre took place." She looked over at Clarke. "I'm Zoe. Z, actually. I wanted to see if you needed any help."

Alessia laughed, breaking Z's eye contact with Clarke to look at the brunette standing in front of her. Through her laughter, Alessia commented, "You? Help? Now that's funny. Thank you for making my morning, actually. You've never held a gun in your life, Zoe. If you had, the world would've heard you complain about chipping a nail that _one _time you had to fire at someone."

Z scowled. "Hey, Alessia, how are your two boyfriends? Tired of you yet? You know, when they get bored of your indecisiveness, you could always send one of them over my way..."

"Mm...yeah, well, you have _none _so I'm sure you'd enjoy that but—"

"Go find Major Byrne and have her clear you for a weapon. Stay behind with Calix and watch the perimeter." Alessia and Z looked over at Clarke, who was staring at Z with a blank expression. Alessia turned to Clarke and crossed her arms.

"Clarke—"

"You and Bellamy are both coming with me. We're leaving this place vulnerable. She can help," Clarke countered. Alessia opened her mouth, but before she could protest, Clarke nodded at Z. "Go on."

Alessia watched as Z gave a triumphant smile and a pointed stare at her rival before walking off in the other direction to find Major Byrne to get cleared for a weapon. The moment she was gone, so was Clarke, and Alessia then turned to Calix with angered eyes.

"When the hell did she come down to Earth and why didn't you tell me?"

Calix rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I...sort of...rescued her from a cliff before Finn, Murphy, and I went to that village. She was the only survivor from one of the other Ark Station crashes. I thought you'd already known. She came back with Bellamy and Octavia."

The brunette's eyes widened. "So you're telling me that you _rescued _her from certain death? Seriously? As in, you're being entirely serious right now?"

"What was I supposed to do, Alessia? Let her fall off the cliff and die?"

"I would've!"

Calix frowned at her and stared pointedly. "You don't seriously believe that, do you?"

"Because I'm such a good person, right?" Alessia scoffed. He stared back at her incredulously as she shook her head and walked away. "I wouldn't be too sure about that now."

"What are you—" Alessia didn't bother responding to him, as she turned on her heel and walked away from Calix, refusing to say anything more. Instead, Calix stepped forward and gripped her arm tightly, holding her in her place. Alessia tried to get out of his grasp, but he kept too strong of a hold for even her to escape. "Hey! I was talking to you, Alessia. You don't get the right to just keep walking away from me because you don't feel like talking."

"What do you want to talk about?" she prompted, and he could see the fury behind her eyes. "Hmm? Tell me, what is it that you feel is so important to talk about, huh? You want to start this? Come on, then!"

Calix squared his jaw. "Alessia, I know—"

"What?!" she proposed. "What do you know? Do you know that my friend just died? Did you know that? Well, it happened. You really want to finish this conversation _now _then?"

"I know your friend died, okay? But right now all you're doing is acting like a brat and it's not helping anyone."

"Yeah? Funny, because you're acting like my boyfriend, even though you're not. And trust me, it's _definitely _not helping anyone."

With that icy tone and her stone-cold words, Alessia ripped her arm out of his grasp and angrily stormed away, like she'd done ten million times to him in the last few days. Calix sighed and watched her leave, but before he was able to tear his eyes away, he could hear a voice beside him.

"Ouch. Trouble in paradise?" Calix's eyes shifted to see Zoe standing beside him, her arms crossed and her eyes prompting. After a slight moment, he shook his head at her and walked off, leaving Zoe with a small smile knowing that things would start looking up for her.

* * *

Alessia fell behind the merry band of guards that accompanied the Commander and her own warriors as they moved towards the village of the massacre. She didn't really feel like being social with Clarke or with her father, who were both moving a little ways ahead of her. She stuck to the caboose of the traveling party, though with that said, she wasn't of the group. Bellamy was behind her with a few Grounder men guarding the tail-end of the strip to protect their Commander from any surprises. As Alessia remained quiet, Bellamy debated going up to her, but he couldn't handle it any longer. He had to see how she was doing.

"Hey," Bellamy said quietly as he approached her side. Alessia looked over at him briefly, but then continued scanning her eyes around her area on alert. When she didn't respond, Bellamy asked, "Are you...doing okay?"

"Fine, Blake. Fine."

"Are you mad? At Clarke, I mean."

Alessia turned her head at him, confused. "Why would I be mad at her?"

"For...what she did."

_Killing Finn, _Alessia reminded herself. _Right. _"No, I'm not mad at her. She did what she thought needed to be done. I knew she would."

"She did the right thing."

"Yes, she did." The teenager shifted her gun in her hand and cleared her throat. "And now she'll live with it. All to maintain a truce with the enemy."

"You think this is a bad idea?"

"Don't you?"

Bellamy scoffed. "Well, I think we're wasting time with politics when our friends are in trouble. But you never answered my question, Robin Hood. What do you think?"

Alessia shrugged. "Clarke seems to think we need their army to get into Mount Weather. I don't think she's entirely wrong. She has a point."

"Their army has been getting their ass kicked by Mount Weather forever. What we need is an inside man. Someone to be our eyes and ears."

In front of them, Clarke's ears turned up at the idea. They had no idea she was listening, but she could hear them, even though they fell a little farther behind her. The blonde was hesitant, but she was intrigued by the idea. A part of her wanted to tell Bellamy there was no way in hell they were gonna send one of their own into that hellhole again, but another part knew that it was the smart thing to do. She expected Alessia to say what she was thinking, but instead, she looked over her shoulder and saw that Alessia had stopped them cold in their path.

"You're kidding me." Alessia put her gun down and scoffed at Bellamy, who was entirely serious. "Let me guess, you want to be that inside man? How about you just ask me to execute you right here?"

"You're being a little melodramatic, don't you think?"

"No, actually. I'm being entirely realistic here."

He sighed. "If you and Clarke could make it out, I can make it in—"

"Stop..."

"Just listen to me. I can do this. I'll get in, find a way to contact Raven through a radio or something, and then I can watch them from the inside and—"

"Just stop talking..."

"Kane—"

She didn't know what came over her. All of a sudden, it was like he'd pushed her over the edge with all of the 'inside man' talk, and she just brought her hand back and swung it at him. It took Bellamy completely by surprise, which was why he couldn't back away before it happened. He stumbled back when her fist made contact with his face, and she froze. Alessia clenched her fist so hard that she thought her fingers might break as she retracted her hand back to her body and calmed her breath, watching as Bellamy recoiled from the blow slowly and turned to look at her, obviously angry. She raised a sigh and shook her head.

"Don't," she warned him, avoiding his eyes for a split moment as she watched him stare at her with incredulity, fuming over her outrage. "Just...I can't lose anyone else, Bellamy. I won't. So...just _don't_."

Alessia hesitated before leaving, debating on whether to stay to hear Bellamy say something or to just leave without a word. As much as it pained her, as terrible as she felt for hitting him, she didn't want to look at him any longer. Swallowing thickly, she turned and jogged to keep up with the pace of the others, leaving Bellamy to watch her as she left, his head reeling from her words.

* * *

Calix rushed over to Z as he observed her attempting to load her gun. He knew she was only trying to impress him by being able to handle a gun, but if that meant that she shot herself, and perhaps others, in the foot, she had better find another way.

"Z, let go of that damn thing!" Calix scolded her as he yanked the gun out of her hand cautiously and kept it away from her reach. The olive-skinned, dark-haired girl looked up and took a moment to truly get agitated with him for treating her like a child. Calix shook his head and loaded the gun properly, making sure to put the gun on safety so she wouldn't go around shooting people by accident. "Jesus, is it so difficult for you to find another hobby?"

Z placed her hands on her hips. "Calix, that's my gun."

"Yeah, the gun that you're gonna accidentally fire in someone's face. No way in hell are you getting this gun back."

She scoffed. "I'm not _that _bad with guns, Calix. Trust me, I can handle them. Look, I'll show you."

Z held out her hand, waiting for Calix to hand over the gun to her, but he just looked at her empty hand and said nothing. Impatiently, she beckoned it, but he still did nothing.

"I'm not giving you this gun, Z."

"Too bad. Byrne gave it to me."

"Byrne doesn't know what she's doing." Calix shook his head with a sigh. "Look just...go do what you were doing before you barged into my conversation with Clarke and Alessia earlier."

The dark-haired girl scowled. "No, Calix. You don't control me. Byrne told me to patrol, so I'm going to patrol."

"Z, you don't even know the first thing about using a gun!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Yeah, in fact! I do!"

She reached forward and snatched the gun out of his hand, where she tried to position her hands so that she was holding it properly. But, of course, Calix watched as she utterly failed, not knowing the proper placements of her hands on such a big weapon. He could see the look of confusion on her face, and therefore, he cleared his throat.

"Ah, Z..."

"Help me," she declared, looking up at him heatedly. Calix raised a sigh and shut his eyes for a moment or two before swinging his own gun behind his back so he could step beside Z and help her understand how to hold a gun. How she got a weapon from Byrne was behind him, but he honestly didn't care. Calix came up behind her and helped her with her placement.

"Hold the gun like this."

"Like this?"

"Yes, Z."

"But that's so uncomfortable..."

"Yeah, it is. But firing a gun isn't supposed to be comfortable. Okay, what the hell are you doing with your hands? Put them here. Like this." He used his warm fingers to pry hers off of the weapon and place them correctly to brace for the blowback. She laughed quietly.

"Oh. Yeah, that makes more sense."

"Hmm," he agreed, practically fighting not to roll his eyes. She made an offended sound and turned her head to look at him, and it was only then, as he could feel the heat of her breath, that he realized what had happened. She'd played him like a fiddle. Z wasn't stupid, she knew he would help her, and she knew they would end up right in that position, their lips nearly inches away. She moved forward to kiss him, too, but at that point, Calix had already figured out what she was planning and stepped back, causing her to stumble for a moment before turning to face him completely. Calix scoffed at her. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"Calix—"

He didn't bother. Calix just turned on his heel and left her without a word.

* * *

The next morning, the Grounders and the Sky People arrived at the village of the massacre, the Commander and her right-hand man leading the pack through the section of the woods. Someone yelled at a Grounder to open the gate that stood in their way, and the warriors dismounted their horses to leave behind. The Grounders awaiting their arrival at the village approached their enemies, shouting a few words in a language they did not understand. The warrior beside them translated.

"Weapons," he demanded. All of them were confused, unwilling to give up the one thing that protected them, but Lincoln stepped forward as a token of peace.

"We need to disarm before we enter," he clarified to those that trusted him, handing over his own knife. Clarke, too, willingly handed over her weapons, and seeing the gesture of peace, Bellamy decided to hand over his as well. Beside Alessia, her father reluctantly handed the warrior who approached him his gun, and the warrior turned to Alessia next. With a sigh, she slipped her gun off of her shoulder and handed it to him, then reached into the waistband of her jeans to pull out the hand gun situated there, and finally into her boot to produce the knife she kept for backup. With a bitter, falsely peaceful smile, she handed over that last weapon, and the Grounder scowled at her before dumping the weapons to those behind him. As he moved onto Raven, who proved to be an even bigger threat, Kane and his daughter shared a look, one where Kane surprisingly gave a rare seal of approval. Alessia smiled slightly, and they waited as the Grounder beside them removed almost everything that could be considered a weapon on Raven's person. The warrior then turned around to his Commander and gave the 'all clear signal', where they then proceeded into the village.

Immediately upon their arrival into the village, there was an uproar. The Sky People were not welcomed in the massacred village, scarred with the likes of Finn's actions. Violent screams erupted and eventually, one Grounder stopped the Commander in her path, refusing to let them deeper into the village. The Commander's warrior tried to stop the Grounder that stood in their way, but instead, the Grounder maintained his ground, and it only made it worse for him. The Commander's warrior stepped forth and threw a right hook at the Grounder blocking them, knocking the man to the ground relentlessly. He climbed upon the other Grounder and beat him further, catching the eyes of all those in the village, who all did nothing. Clarke, her eyes wide as the moon, rushed forward to the Commander's side.

"Commander," she argued. "Stop him! Please? They'll blame us for him, too."

The Commander hesitated, but after a short moment, she finally gave the order to stop. The warrior lifted himself from the Grounder and stepped back, where the Commander turned around and faced her people.

"The Sky People march with us now. Anyone who tries to stop that will pay with their life!"

"Warm welcome," Bellamy muttered under his breath as the Commander turned and carried on within the village. The Sky People followed alongside the warriors to the spot where the massacre had taken place, and it was all simple from there. Finn's wrapped body laid upon a wooden platform to pay for his mistake. Abby, Octavia, Lincoln, Kane, Alessia, Clarke, Bellamy, and Raven all watched as the Commander stood tall and spoke out to her people.

"People of Tondc, in fire, we cleanse the pain of the past," Lincoln translated to those around him as the Commander spoke. They watched as the Commander took a torch from one of her warriors and braced to set the body aflame. But before she did, the Commander paused briefly and suddenly turned, her eyes catching Clarke's in the crowd. The Commander extended her hand.

"Clarke," the Commander said, waiting for the blonde to take her offering. It was a test, that's what it was. Or, at least, that's what Alessia perceived it to be. A cruel, vile way of shoving it in Clarke's face that this was her fault. Or, perhaps, maybe the Commander was trying to show her people what the truce encompassed. Perhaps it was another means of the truce. Whatever the case might have been, Clarke stepped forward and grabbed the torch from the Commander's hand and stepped onto the platform the Commander was standing on. She hesitated, looking down at Finn's wrapped-up body on the wooden tent waiting to be burned. Clarke's heart was pounding in her ears, her mind racing. Finn was gone, dead. And she killed him.

Then, she felt a hand wrap around hers, and when she looked beside her, she saw Finn standing there with a solemn look upon his face. Clarke said nothing, but she just let him guide her hand to touch the flame of the torch to the wood in front of her.

"Yu gonplei ste oden," Clarke said aloud. All the Grounders watched her and the fire as it spread, enveloping Spacewalker's body. His friends all stood around, watching as the fire swallowed him whole, completing the truce between the Grounders and the Sky People once and for all.

When it was over, the Commander and Clarke stood over the smoke that was left of the fire, where Finn's body no longer existed. The Commander waited the appropriate amount of time to be quiet for the one standing next to her, but at last, she spoke softly.

"I lost someone special to me, too. Her name was Costia." Clarke looked at the Commander to listen. "She was captured by the ice nation whose queen believed she knew my secrets. Because she was mine, they tortured her...killed her...cut off her head."

"I'm sorry."

"I thought I'd never get over the pain, but I did."

Clarke's voice wavered. "How?"

"By recognizing it for what it is." The two caught each other's stares. "Weakness."

"What is? Love?" The Commander nodded and turned her head back to the extinguished flame. Clarke, however, didn't understand. "So you just stopped caring? About everyone?" By the lack of response, she realized that the incredulous things she was saying was the truth. With a firm shake of her head, Clarke whispered, "I could never do that."

"Then you put the people you care about in danger, and the pain will never go away." She looked at the teenager next to her. "The dead are gone, Clarke. The living are hungry."

With that said, the Commander was escorted to a room in Tondc, where a feast would occur to celebrate the truce between the Sky People and the Grounders. Clarke, Alessia, Bellamy, Raven, and Kane all met up together before entering the room where the feast was, and when they entered, Marcus was the first to speak, being that he had the gift he was to present on behalf of his people.

"Please accept this gift, Commander," Kane began. "We drink this at, uh, special occasions. I believe this qualifies."

He extended the bottle, and the Commander nodded to her warrior, who reached forward and took the bottle for the Commander instead, and then gave it to her. She accepted the gift with a nod and looked up at the older male.

"Thank you, Marcus of the Sky People."

"You're welcome...Lexa. Kom trikru." He smiled. "Just, uh, don't drink too much of it."

The Commander didn't really get the joke, so all she did was turn and look at the blonde standing across from her at the long dining table. "Clarke, let us drink together."

"It would be my pleasure." She nodded. The Commander's warrior set forth two cups for the Commander to pour the offering into, and the Commander grabbed them and reached forward to give Clarke her chalice. The Commander's warrior beside her grabbed the chalice from her hand first, distrustful of the Sky People, and drank a small sip to taste. With a nod, he handed the chalice back to the Commander, who held her head high and spoke clearly.

"Tonight, we celebrate our newfound peace. Tomorrow, we plan our war." She held up her glass. "To those we've lost; and to those we shall soon find."

Clarke raised the glass as well, ready to drink, but before she could, the Commander's warrior suddenly broke out into hysteria, collapsing over the dining table and causing an immediate uproar. Glasses and dishes broke as Grounders surrounded him, trying to find the root of the cause.

"Poison!" Alessia heard one of them declare, and with wide eyes, she reached over and knocked the chalice right out of Clarke's hand and onto the ground. Suddenly, one of the Grounders turned around and waved her sword at those across the table.

"It was the Sky People!"

In an instant, the dining table was turned, creating no divide between the two warring kinds.

"This wasn't us!" Clarke shouted over the Commander as she led her people. "You have to know this wasn't us!"

The Grounder who had declared the blame on them started to shout out a command, and suddenly, another Grounder began to attack the Sky People by searching their person. Alessia shouted in protest as she was suddenly manhandled by one of the Grounders closest to her who was trying to pat her down.

"Get the hell off of me!" she screamed, and went to throw a punch, but the Grounder caught her arm and twisted it so far back, it nearly broke. Before it could, however, Bellamy, who was beside her, yanked Alessia away and managed to get a good right hook into the Grounder's face. Alessia was knocked into her father, who held her tightly and tried to protect them both through the chaos. Clarke stepped forward and dodged a Grounder to tried to search her, walking closer to the Commander.

"No, we didn't do this!"

"Gustus warned me about you, but I didn't listen!" the Commander spat.

"Lexa, please—"

"Tell me something, Clarke, when you plunged the knife into the heart of the boy you loved, did you not wish that it was mine?"

Clarke wanted to say something, but nothing came out of her open mouth. Instead, her eyes adjusted, and she blinked a few times as she saw Finn appear behind the Commander, his figure lurking in the shadows, haunting her. Before she could respond, there was a strict voice behind them. When Clarke turned, she saw a Grounder holding up a vile of poison that was taken from Alessia's jacket.

"What the hell?" Alessia growled as she saw the Grounder hold up the poison and accuse her of treason. Alessia turned back around at Clarke with widened eyes, her eyes glazing over both Clarke and Lexa heatedly. "Son of a bitch, that's not mine! The bastard put it there! It isn't mine!"

Clarke turned to look at Lexa, who was silent. The blonde warned her with her eyes, begging the Commander to realize that they wouldn't do anything to put the truce in jeopardy. Instead, Lexa ground her teeth and shouted, "No Sky Person leaves this room!"

She, along with a group of Grounders, fled the room immediately. Octavia looked at Lincoln and shook her head.

"Do something," she begged.

"Indra..." Lincoln stopped the Grounder that had earlier declared the Sky People's blame, who was the last one to leave the room. He made her stop and listen, but none of the Arkers in the room knew what he told her. Not that it helped much, anyways, because no matter what he said or what she replied, the gate to the room was shut, sealing all of them inside.

* * *

"She was about to kiss me," Calix said through his teeth as he watched Wick rummage through the mechanical room, looking for something probably to improve Raven's radio. Wick sighed.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! It's Z. I mean, the nerve—"

Wick looked over the cart he was rummaging through to give a pointed stare to Calix. "Oh, no! The horror! You have a girl who actually _wants _to get in your pants for once." Calix scowled at his friend, who scoffed. "Why are you so bothered about this, Calix? Yeah, Z made a mistake, but it was a long time ago."

"Oh really? So her cheating on me with Wells is excusable because it passed the statue of limitations?"

"How many times does she have to apologize to you before you actually forgive her?"

"It's not about me forgiving her, Wick. I got over it a long time ago." The bronze-haired male raised a sigh deep in his chest. "I just...I can't right now."

Wick paused. Slowly, he raised himself from the cart and leaned against it, hesitating for a moment before finally saying softly, "This is about Les, isn't it? You think she's coming back to you?"

Calix crossed his arms. "She never left."

"Not physically, no. But emotionally...dude, she's with that other guy now—Bellamy, right? She flat out told you that she had feelings for another guy and you're still holding out hope for her?"

"I love her." Calix snorted in disbelief and cocked an eyebrow. "What, you think the solution to her having feelings for Bellamy is to just take myself out all together and start things up with Z again? That's insane."

"I know you love her, Calix." Wick rolled his eyes. "We all know. And I'm sure as hell not telling you to start things up with Z again. Hell no. But I think Alessia has made it clear at this point that you're no longer obligated to wait around pining after her. From the looks of it, she's moved on. Maybe you should, too."

"With Z?"

The mechanic in front of him shrugged and gave his friend a sly smile. "I mean, come on, Cal. The girl's gorgeous...she's obviously got the hots for you...and, let's face it, who would be better to give you that one night you need to finally move on?"

The two friends stood in silence. Calix leaned against the table at his side and hesitated, but it was a moment of hesitation that caused him to consider the proposal on the table. Eventually, Calix shook his head and said quietly, "I...I don't know..."

"Yeah. You do." Wick laughed softly and shook his head at the stupidity of his indecisive friend before bending back down to the cart, allowing Calix a few moments of silence to think over the situation.

* * *

Everyone paced back and forth in the quiet room, all the Sky People on edge about the fate that would lie before them. While Abby and Kane argued how best to handle the situation and Bellamy saught for a way out, Clarke walked over to Raven, who was bent over on her knees as she tried to grasp the situation in its entirety.

"Raven," Clarke began in a whisper, "I need to know the truth."

"I'd step back if I was you."

"You wanted me to kill Lexa yesterday. If you and Alessia tried to poison her, I need to know—"

Suddenly, Clarke found her cheek throbbing as Raven whipped back and threw a punch at their peaceful leader whom Raven felt nothing but hate for after what happened to Finn. Immediately, everyone in the room turned to face to commotion, and as Clarke turned back at the dark-haired girl in front of her, she watched as Alessia came behind Raven and tried to push her back, further away from Clarke so she could do no more damage. Nevertheless, Clarke witnessed Raven fight Alessia and spit, "You're the only murderer here!"

Octavia and Abby rushed over to Clarke's side to intervene in the middle of the conflict, but instead of replying to Raven's accusation, Clarke found herself looking to the side, where she could see Finn's silent figure in the distance, staring at her with a blank expression. Anger boiled inside of her.

"Leave me alone!" Clarke hissed. Everyone in the room watched as Clarke talked to the wall. "You gave me no choice! Why did you turn yourself in?!"

Clarke's breath shook, and it was then, as the room fell pin-drop silent, that she could see the confused stares of those around her, looking at her like she was crazy. _Maybe I am, _Clarke thought. Abby stepped in front of her daughter, attempting to wedge herself between Clarke and whatever the young girl was seeing so that she could bring her back to reality.

"Clarke—" Clarke didn't respond, she just flinched away from her mother's touch and isolated herself in a corner, her breath echoing in the small room. Alessia let Raven go and they all tried not to watch Clarke, who was wallowing in the corner with her mental state impaired, but all of them were concerned as hell. Eventually, Abby walked over to her daughter and tried to fix things, and while she did, Alessia, who had been sitting on the floor against the stone-cold wall, was approached by Kane, who sighed and sat down next to her.

"This is a mess," he confessed. She nodded.

"It usually is." Kane was quiet and watched as his daughter let out a quiet chuckle. "And you'd think we'd be used to this by now; truces between us and the Grounders getting ruined because of misunderstandings...people dying for the sake of this pointless war. Some things never change."

"I'm sorry about your friend," Kane told her softly, shifting uncomfortably on the ground. Alessia shrugged.

"There's nothing we can do about it now." With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "Like I said, we should be used to it. We started with one hundred...now we're almost at half of that. And even then, half of our people are in that crazy ass mountain and...and, well, I don't know how to get them out."

Marcus was silent for a long time, watching as his daughter looked at floor and took slow, deep breaths to try to keep herself from worrying about it much longer. After she leaned back against the wall and raised a final sigh, he swallowed thickly and narrowed his eyes.

"You've changed, Alessia." She turned to look at him as he nodded. "You're...different. Not only the fact that you assist Clarke and Bellamy in running things, but...but _you_. You've changed."

Alessia scoffed. "Tell me about it. I'm living up to the Kane name. Like father, like daughter, right?"

Kane and Alessia stared at each other for a very long moment, but right as Kane was about to open his mouth and protest to the statement, there was a shout.

"I was protecting everyone!" Suddenly, Marcus and Alessia turned their heads to see Clarke and Abby arguing in the corner, the blonde raising her voice as her mother tried to calm her down. "I didn't have a choice! You did!"

"No—"

"You turned him in!"

"I trusted Thelonious to talk to your father and convince him not to go public."

"You knew Dad would never stop! You knew what would happen to him!"

"I was protecting everyone, too. I was protecting _you_." But unwilling to listen to her mother anymore, Clarke lifted herself from her seat and started to pace further away as she processed her mother's words. Abby, who was still on her knees, choked out, "Clarke...please."

Abby lifted herself from the ground and watched as Clarke turned to look at her, her eyes wide and confused. In a soft voice, Clarke breathed her realization.

"We are the same."

Things weren't much better afterwards. Stale air pulsed through Clarke and her mother as they ended up separating to the opposite sides of the room and everyone stayed quiet, unwilling to say anything for the fear that it would turn into an argument that could not be reversed. Alessia saw Clarke sitting in another corner, staring at the floor pitifully. With a soft breath, Alessia walked over to her friend and tried to be as supportive as she could, putting her own personal feelings aside.

"You can't stay mad at her forever, Clarke," Alessia said quietly, sitting down next to her friend. Clarke's eyes drifted to her mother, but she ripped them away when her mother caught her staring, and just turned to Alessia.

"Aren't you?" she asked cautiously, cocking an eyebrow. "How do you live with yourself knowing who you come from? You try so hard not to be like Kane, but you have to realize that sometimes..."

"Sometimes genetics don't lie?" Alessia scoffed. "It's hard, Clarke. The last thing we want to be is our parents, but...but we're so much more than that. _You_'_re _so much more than that. Look, Lexa needs this truce as much as we do and she listens to you."

The other teenager was quiet, before she finally asked, "Alessia, did you...?"

Alessia looked at Clarke pointedly. "No, Clarke. I didn't. He put it on me when I was searched, I promise. And as for Lexa, I'm sure that if you try to reason with her, she'll understand that no one in this room wanted her dead enough to try and poison her."

Clarke shook her head. "Then who did?"

"Too many to count." Alessia and Clarke looked up to see Lincoln answer the proposed question. He turned to them and joined in on the conversation. "Forming an alliance with you was a risk. Especially after what Finn did to this village."

"So it had to be someone trying to break the alliance," Octavia clarified. Before Clarke or Alessia could even think of any possibilities, there was suddenly a noise from the entrance. The Grounders walked inside, Indra leading them. Lincoln looked at Nyko, the Grounder's Healer and his own friend.

"How's Gustus?"

"Gustus will live," the Grounder said sourly. Then, Indra murmured something to one of the warriors behind her, her eyes laser-focused on Alessia beside Clarke. As the Grounders moved forward, Lincoln's eyes widened.

"Wait! Wait! What are you doing?"

"She didn't poison anyone!" Bellamy shouted angrily, heading forward to stop them from grabbing Alessia.

"I argued for all of you to die," Indra retorted sharply. "But the Commander is merciful. She wants only one."

"She's innocent," Lincoln pressed.

"I don't care!" Indra shouted and then looked towards her men. "They move, they bleed."

The Grounders rushed forward and grabbed Alessia by her arm, but Bellamy stopped them. The warriors moved to strike, but before they could, Bellamy turned to look at Indra and growled, "You want someone? Me. Take me instead—"

"Bellamy, no," Alessia hissed at him, but he ignored her and shoved the warriors away.

"Leave her. I'll go with you." His eyes turned to Indra, as did the warriors, who knew that it was up to her to make a decision. After a moment, Indra held her head high and nodded with narrowed eyes.

"The boy wants to die in her place, so be it. Take him," she ordered. The warriors gripped onto Bellamy's arms and, despite Octavia and Alessia's protests, Bellamy was hauled out of the room by the warriors who held him hostage. As everyone looked at each other in immediate alarm, Indra turned back at them and explained, "The rest of you are free. When he's dead, so is the alliance. You should run."

* * *

Bellamy's breath shook as he stared at the Grounders in front of him with disdain, watching as they looked at him like a traitor when he, nor anyone with him, did anything to jeopardize the truth. Lexa stepped forward, her hand on the end of her sword.

"I take no joy in this, Bellamy," the Commander said, quite unapologetically. "But this time, justice _will _be done."

"None of us did it," Bellamy growled at her. "How is that justice?"

Alessia watched from a distance as Lexa took the knife in her opposite hand and held it up to Bellamy's arm, which was raised above his head against the tree they'd tied him on. With a shake of her head, she rushed forward.

"We have to stop this—"

"Alessia, no." Marcus put his hand out in front of her to prevent her from moving anywhere that would get herself killed. "We can't."

"It's Bellamy!" she protested, but Marcus didn't answer, as a loud scream replaced his words. Bellamy groaned out in pain as Lexa dragged the knife across the underside of his arms, blood dripping down onto his shirt.

"Lincoln, talk to them," Octavia begged the Grounder beside her, unwilling to let her brother get killed over something he didn't do. She watched in disgust as Indra stepped forward and took her own knife, lifted up his shirt, and dragged the weapon across his stomach, drawing a deep line of blood. Bellamy shouted again, and Octavia was frantic. She turned to Lincoln. "Talk to them! These are your people!"

Lincoln shook his head. "Not anymore."

"Dad!" Alessia shouted as her father kept a stern grip on her. She fought him, but Kane against Kane meant that there would be only one winner. "Dad, let go of me! Let go!"

"You are not dying today," Kane snapped at her, shoving her back behind him. "Not for him."

"You don't understand—"

"I do." Kane reached forward and gripped his daughter's shoulders. "Trust me, Alessia, I do. And you're still not dying. We need to leave."

Clarke listened as her mother called to her from above ground, but she was just standing in the dining room in the village looking at the floor, waiting for an answer. She could hear the urgency from her mother, but how could she just walk away? Walk away and let Bellamy die? She couldn't do that. She just couldn't.

"I can't save anyone," Clarke whispered to herself over the screams from Bellamy as the Grounders tortured him publicly. Sensing another presence in the room, Clarke turned her head to find Finn standing a few feet away from her, his face darkened by the shadows, his lips closed tightly. Now, she was agitated. "Say something!"

But he didn't. Instead, he turned his head, guiding Clarke to look at one of the chalices on the floor, the one that Alessia knocked out of her hand before she took a sip. Again, Clarke could hear her mother push for them to leave, but as Clarke stared at the chalice, she realized.

"It wasn't in the bottle," the blonde whispered to herself, and immediately, she ran up the stairs and onto the ground, pushing past her mother and heading for the circle of Grounders surrounding Bellamy. Alessia kicked her father off of her and followed Clarke as her Dr. Griffin and Kane verbally protested, but they didn't listen.

"Clarke, what's going on?" Alessia asked, begging for a solution. Clarke looked at Nyko beside Lincoln.

"I need that bottle. Now!" Nyko complied, heading into one of the houses to grab the bottle she was seeking, and as he did that, Clarke walked up to the Grounders and shouted at them. "Stop!"

"Let her pass," the Commander ordered her warriors that were blocking Clarke from entering the inner ring where Bellamy was tied up and put on for show. Alessia followed her in, as did Octavia. Clarke looked at Lexa straight in the eye.

"One of your people tried to kill you, Lexa. Not one of mine."

Indra stepped forward. "You should've run."

"I can prove it!" Clarke looked beside her and took the bottle that Nyko had retrieved, opening the bottle quickly and downing as much of the contents of it as she could. Lexa and the Grounders watched as Clarke swallowed, but nothing happened to her as it had to Gustus. Lexa's eyes widened.

"Explain."

"The poison wasn't in the bottle, it was in the cup."

Beside the Commander, Gustus said something, most likely to sway the Commander to the opposite of what Clarke was proposing. Alessia watched as Lexa and Gustus shared a look, and then she realized. She recalled the moments before Gustus had started to choke from the poison in the chalice, and she remembered who had handed Lexa the bottles. And just like that, she knew what happened.

"You." Her eyes focused on Gustus, and Lexa looked back at Alessia with a confused, yet intrigued gaze. Alessia nodded. "Y-You did it. You poisoned the cup, didn't you? You searched me before and you tested the cup."

Lexa grimaced angrily. "Gustus would never hurt me!"

"Exactly!" Alessia exclaimed. "He wouldn't. You weren't the target, Lexa. This alliance was."

"We didn't do this and you know it," Clarke pressed, looking at Lexa with honest eyes. Lexa, after a moment of hesitation, finally turned to Gustus and began to speak to him, presumably to ask him if what they were saying was true. Gustus paused, looking between the Sky People and his Commander, and at last, he answered.

"This alliance would cost you your life, Heda," he admitted. All the Grounders turned to him, realizing the confession of guilt. "I could not let that happen."

Lexa stared at him for a moment before whispering, "This treachery will cost you yours."

She turned to her warriors and shouted out a command, which then caused the warriors around her to grab hold of Gustus and also free Bellamy from the tree he was tied against. Octavia and Alessia rushed forward to catch Bellamy as they cut him down and he stumbled from the blood loss. With the aid of Raven, Kane, and Dr. Griffin, they all carried him out of the circle as quickly as possible to get him to lie down and clean his wounds.

Later that night, after all the commotion with the alliance had been settled, Gustus was killed, and the Nyko and Dr. Griffin had patched up Bellamy's wounds, Alessia, Bellamy, Octavia, and Lincoln sat around a fire, all of them solemn after all they'd been through in just one day.

"How did you know it was Gustus?" asked Lincoln, looking up at Alessia with a somber expression. Alessia let her eyes drift from the fire back at Lincoln, and Octavia and Bellamy looked up at her as well, waiting for the answer. She looked around at all of them, pausing briefly on Bellamy, and then back to Lincoln.

"He would've done anything for her. Whatever means necessary to protect her." Alessia said softly, turning back to the fire. "It was just the only thing that made sense."

"Look at the thanks he got," Octavia muttered sourly. Alessia and Bellamy both looked up at the younger, dark-haired teenager, who was just messing around with a twig as she looked at the fire with a glum attitude, but before anyone could continue the conversation, Raven emerged out of her tent.

"Guys!"

Bellamy, Alessia, Octavia, Lincoln, and Clarke all rushed over to her. Bellamy shook his head, confused. "What is it?"

"Listen to this," Raven prompted them as they all crowded around her and her radio to listen. It was Jasper.

_"This is Jasper Jordan. We need help. 47 of us are trapped inside Mount Weather. We don't know how much time we have left. Please hurry..." _

"Talk to him!" Clarke urged, her eyes wide. "Say something!"

Raven shook her head. "It's repeating."

"They're alive!" Octavia gasped. The entire group listened to the message again in awe, their heads spinning with the confirmation that their friends were okay. Suddenly, Bellamy looked up at Clarke and nodded to her.

"We need to do this now. You've got the alliance, now is the time to use it."

Clarke hesitated, but then she remembered. Alessia and Bellamy had been talking about it on the way to Tondc, and at the time, Clarke didn't think much of it, but now she realized. Alessia might've hated the plan, but she didn't. Though she didn't want Bellamy to get killed as much as Alessia didn't, she also wanted to get their people out of Mount Weather without creating so much bloodshed there wouldn't be anything left to come out of. As much as she hated to admit it, Bellamy was right.

"First, we need an inside man," the blonde said suddenly, catching Bellamy's attention. She looked up at him and nodded. "I heard you yesterday. You were right. Without someone on the inside to lower their defenses, turn off the acid fog, an army is useless. You should go."

"Clarke, no," Alessia protested, stepping towards her defensively. "He'll get himself killed!"

"Alessia, we both know this isn't about Bellamy getting himself killed." She stared at Alessia with a blank expression, causing the dark-haired girl to immediately realize that there was something extremely wrong with her friend. "This is about you. Because you don't want to lose anyone else, but it's not your decision anymore. Not as long as you're putting love before our people. It's weak. This is worth the risk. He can handle himself."

Alessia squared her jaw. "Clarke—"

"My map of Mount Weather." Clarke ignored the heated girl in front of her and passed Bellamy the sheet of paper in her hand. "Find a way to get on that radio and talk to us." Reluctantly, Bellamy took the piece of paper out of Clarke's hand and looked down at Alessia, who was giving Clarke the death stare, but refused to look at Bellamy. With that said, Clarke turned on her heel. "Good luck."

When she was gone, everyone turned to Alessia, who they had witnessed practically get verbally slapped by her own best friend. Bellamy looked down at the girl beside him and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, she went in the other direction, probably looking for some peace. Bellamy raised a sigh, but didn't call her back. Instead, he listened as Octavia reluctantly asked, "Bell...how are you gonna...?"

"I can get you through the tunnels," Lincoln said suddenly. Octavia turned around, alarmed.

"You can't go back there. Not yet."

"Let me show you what to look for," Raven said to Bellamy softly, who nodded and, though he searched for Alessia in the darkness with his eyes, followed her into the tent without a word.

* * *

Z let out a sigh as she gathered her hair from the nape of her neck and tied it into a short ponytail on her head, getting ready to get some sleep before the next morning. Clarke, Alessia, and Bellamy would be back soon, which meant that her gun would probably be recalled and she would go back to doing nothing twenty-four hours a day. But as she braced to lower herself to the floor on the makeshift blankets, she suddenly heard the flap of her tent open and looked over her shoulder to find Calix enter the tent, his breathing oddly fast and his fingers enclosed in a nervous fist. She sighed again, this time at him, and turned around with her arms crossed.

"What do you want, Calix? Haven't you already embarrassed me enough today?"

"Shut up, Z," he said coldly, pacing back and forth in front of her. Z cocked an eyebrow and watched as he cracked his knuckles. "You know, I thought that nothing would change. I thought that me telling her I was alive would...I don't know, make her rejoice or something. You know, because that seems like a more realistic reaction than her telling me that she's in love with another guy, right?"

Z frowned. "I'm not your therapist, C. And I'm sure as hell not talking to you about that bitch."

"Don't call her that," Calix demanded, but he was still pacing. "But it did change things. Me...being 'dead' changed things for her. And...I don't know, maybe it changed things for me. I thought it didn't, but what if it did? What if things wouldn't be the same anyways, even if she did pick me over him? What if it was all for nothing?"

"Calix, what the hell are you in here for?" Zoe asked sharply, causing him to stop in his steps and look at her. She scoffed at him in disbelief. "I mean, God. I don't want to hear about your problems with Saint Alessia. So either take your clothes off or get the hell out already."

She didn't think it would actually _work. _Honestly, she thought that Calix was in her tent because he couldn't find Wick and, because he had no friends whatsoever, decided that his best option was to come and talk to her about his Alessia issues. But sure enough, Calix paused for a brief second before taking his hyperactive hands and pulling his shirt off of his body, chucking it across the tent. Z's eyes widened and she swallowed thickly, utterly confused as he walked forward and pulled her face towards him, capturing her in an animalistic kiss that didn't end. Her head spun, and she felt like she was in one of her sick dreams that she'd had at night thinking about Calix coming back to her.

But sure enough, he was real. _It _was real, despite everything inside Calix's head telling him to walk away.

* * *

_Life sucks, sure. And yes, everyone dies. Eventually, somehow, someway, everyone will take their last breath. Whether it be because of greed, jealousy, passion, or even peace. We all go, one way or another. And at that point, life really sucks. But there's more to life than just waiting for that final breath to come. We have to live, to fight for what we believe in._

As Bellamy slipped a knife into his jacket, he heard the flap of his tent open and turned around to see Alessia enter, zipping the tent closed as soon as she stepped in. Bellamy turned to look at her, watching as she stared at him with an expression that was impossible to decipher. Was she sad? Furious? Disappointed? He didn't know. She gulped.

"When are you leaving?"

_It may hurt..._

Bellamy paused. That's what she wanted to ask? When he was leaving? "An hour. Lincoln said we should wait until the warriors switch watch posts." She nodded, but when she didn't say anything, Bellamy sighed. "I'll be fine, Robin Hood. I can handle myself out there."

"It's not about that, Bellamy," she snapped. He noticed how she didn't reciprocate their nicknames and realized that this wasn't the time for playfulness. He straightened and watched as she shook her head. "I know you can handle yourself. You think I don't know that after what you did for me today? And because of that, it scares me. If you die, Bellamy, I don't...I..." Alessia trailed off, trying to find the right words. Eventually, she sighed. "I should really give Clarke more credit. I don't think I could handle it if what happened to Finn happened to you."

_I__t may even seem like life sucks even more than usual..._

"Alessia—" He moved towards her, but she just closed her eyes and held up a hand frustratedly.

"I'm not...I'm not saying what you think I'm saying." Her eyes opened and she stared at him, closer than before, and her expression changed. She wasn't mad, he realized. Far from it. Alessia shifted uncomfortably. "But...but if I was...if I was, would you stay?"

Bellamy thought about it, but it was an unfair question of her to ask him, and she knew it, too. She knew his answer as well. It just wasn't fair of him to stay with her with everything going on, with the war they were in. Truth be told, if there was a sucky time to fall in love with someone, in the midst of a war would definitely be it, but regardless, there was nothing they could do. Eventually, Bellamy shook his head.

"You know I can't."

_But the truth is, the world doesn't stop turning because you lost someone. Life doesn't stop living because you've lost hope. Your only option, like it or not, is to face the music and wake the hell up. You can't live in misery forever. There are jobs to do and people to lead._

She stared at him and said nothing, but she knew. He knew she knew; she wouldn't be asking if she didn't. So, cautiously, she stepped forward and just sighed, "Then please...just don't die."

The two stayed in silence for a while, but at last, Bellamy nodded.

"I won't if you won't."

_As for me? My only goal is to get through tomorrow without dying. One day at a time._

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review! Btw, my new song of the week is "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor and John Legend (yeah, I know...so mainstream but whatever I like it) and it's kind of like Bellessia's new theme song now so check it out!**

* * *

**RHatch89: **Thank you :)

**Totter4: **Eh, the Kanes don't really "comfort" each other because...well, they're Kanes. Even in this chapter, you know, Marcus apologized for Finn's death but that was all that was said about that because they don't really have that kind of relationship. Anyways, thanks for the review!

**Asma20: **Nope :P I'm evil and I'm separating them for the rest of season two, but think of it as a break. They really need one with everything going on and it'll only make them stronger. Thanks for reviewing!

**whatthehaleisgoingon: **Finn's death kills me every time. Yeah, I knew Alessia as a character wouldn't want to watch what happened, she would be more comfortable dealing with it in her own way (ex: violently kicking a wall because you know she's angsty like that) and letting all of the anger out before moving on with the alliance and such. Haha, well I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to stay up all night! Sorry for the delay on the chapter but here you go! Hope you enjoyed it!

**saramichellegellarfan1: **I know :'(

**A: **It was extremely intense. So was this chapter honestly, especially the end. The Kane reunion was my favorite thing ever. Aw well thank you! Sorry it took so long but here's the update! Hope you liked it!

**FoxFan88: **You're welcome! I know, it was a loaded chapter. Alessia will be focusing a little more in the next few chapters on not letting Finn's death go to waste and trying to take these sons-of-bitches at Mount Weather down, but her friendship with Clarke will eventually suffer the consequences of their conflicting ideas. Here's the chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!

**Bee-back: **I know. I'm actually pretty proud of how I'm leaving Bellamy and Alessia but they won't be interacting personally for a while, which is kinda sad. Anyways, here's the chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

**katiesgotagun: **Haha thanks! I'm glad you liked it! Well, I mean, Bellamy tried but Alessia isn't really in a 'funk' she kinda just handled what she needed to handle with Finn's death when it happened and now she's preoccupied with trying to make this alliance work so Finn's death doesn't go to waste. Sorry for the late update but here's the chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

**ambrosesdixon: **Aw I know it was pretty intense. It really was in Kane fashion lol! Yeah, just a sprinkling in that chapter but there was a lot going on in this one. Ha, they're a dynamic couple that needs some resolution eventually. We'll get there soon enough. Yeah Alessia didn't handle it so well in this chapter but the real issue is gonna be her and Clarke, unfortunately. Thanks for the review!

**Ema: **It takes so long for me to update because I have this thing called AP classes that don't make it possible for me to update like every five seconds but anyways, here's the chapter! Hope you enjoyed it.

**erasableprism: **Thank you! Yeah, I tried to make Alessia have her own personality and storyline around her so that she fit in more with the people of the Ark without it seeming awkward and just weird, and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, and it's always nice to hear that I'm doing something right! Haha school is going well...for now! Thanks for the review!

**pureO: **I was crying too! Finn dying makes me want to cry for a week straight like I miss him so much. Yeah we needed some spacehood moments :P I knew that Alessia as a person would take it a little different than she would her father's 'death' because you know, she was always conflicted about her feelings towards Kane but she loved Finn as a friend which made it twice as hard, and with everything that happened with Margot at the end of the first season, Finn's death just ripped through old battle scars, which led me to make her deal with it herself. Aw well I can't let her go with him, but I tried to make up for the wait by that incredibly sweet (possibly out of character idk) moment at the end of this chapter. Thank you! Sorry for the wait but here's the chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!

**Guest: **Thanks. Yeah, I saw your review and I checked it out and talked it over with the author and she took it down and put up an apology. Thank you for letting me know!

**summer: **Thanks! Here's the update!


	23. Survival of the Fittest

**Thank you** **to all of my loyal readers** that have stuck through the difficult task of trying to resolve this plagiarizing issue.** The story has been taken down on Wattpad** **and I am keeping an eye out to make sure it is not reposted**. **I have read every one of your reviews and I so appreciate all of your help and concern**. You are all the best readers ever and to show my appreciation, I took a break from my intense AP studying and sat down and wrote this chapter. Hence, here's another chapter (finally)!

(**PS:** I'm thinking about making a **special AU the 100 fanfic with Alessia and Bellamy** in a non-apocalyptic world where they have (somewhat) normal people problems. **Tell me what you think**!)

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Survival of the Fittest**

"Alessia? Alessia!"

Alessia shot up, nearly kicking back the stool she was sitting on and throwing the wind from underneath her. Luckily, she managed to salvage herself, able to steady before completely falling flat on her ass. Her eyes adjusted as she woke up from the uncomfortable, deep sleep she'd had on the cold, hard metal table in Raven and Wick's workshop. At the door, she could see Calix staring at her with a cocked eyebrow. Alessia rubbed her eyes free of sleep.

"What the hell? What time is it?"

"Time to wake up," he said simply. She scowled at him as he gestured outside. "Come on, the Grounders just arrived. Your dad will kill you if you don't show up at the reception."

"All right, all right." Alessia took a deep breath and shooed him out. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Go without me."

Calix hesitated for a moment, thinking about the chances that she would actually get up and come to the reception if he didn't drag her out of Raven's workshop himself, but he realized it was no use. Fighting every urge inside of him to literally walk in and drag her out, he turned on his heel and listened to her words. Raven, who was in the corner of the workshop with her hands busy, eyed Alessia as the dark-haired teenager lifted herself up from the stool with caution, recovering from her sleep.

"Have a nice catnap, Robin Hood?" Raven asked her lightly. Alessia chuckled softly.

"More or less. Anything?"

"Not since the last time you asked." The mechanic looked up from her busywork and gave Alessia a soft look. "You know, it'll take him and Lincoln some time to get in. I wouldn't expect anything so soon."

"Right. Then, of course, the second I walk out of here, watch him radio in."

"I highly doubt it's going to happen that fast. Seriously, Alessia. Relax. He'll radio in soon enough." She looked towards the door. "And you better go. Calix was right; your dad will kill you if he finds out you skipped out on the reception. The only reason I'm allowed to be in here is to monitor the radio."

"Consider yourself lucky, then," Kane mumbled under her breath before pausing briefly to think, then nodding. "Okay. You're right, I'll...go to the reception. But I'll be back soon."

"Take your time."

When Raven looked back down at her busywork, Alessia knew it was time to leave. Reluctantly, she headed for the door, hearing Raven's wrench in the back corner as if it were amplified ten times. But just as she took a few more steps towards the exit, she abruptly turned around and inhaled sharply.

"I'm sorry, you know," Alessia started. Raven looked up, slightly disinterested in the pity. "What happened to him. It was horrible and...and disgusting, honestly. If I didn't believe that we needed the Grounders' help to get the rest of the 48 out of Mount Weather, I would be the first one to declare war, I want you to know that. But for the record, I _am_ sorry. It wasn't fair."

Raven was quiet, but Alessia didn't expect a response. She turned to walk out, but just as she did, Raven called out to her.

"Alessia!" She turned around and waited for Raven to continue. Raven paused for a moment before finally saying, "I'll let you know the second I hear from Bellamy."

Alessia nodded, the 'thank you' implied, and walked out of the station to meet up with Calix at the reception. But oddly enough, she found him waiting for outside, as if he was about to go back in if she hadn't come out in another minute or so. The teenager scoffed.

"Didn't trust me?" she prompted, making headway for the main station so they could catch up with the rest of her people as they welcomed the Grounder warriors into their camp. Clarke was still at Tondc with Lexa, trying to figure out how to get into Mount Weather. Alessia wanted nothing more than to be there, but she had decided to come back with her father and Raven so she could protect the camp while waiting for Bellamy to radio in. Clarke had tried to convince her, too, that Bellamy wouldn't radio in so fast, but she was adamant about going back to camp, not just because of the radio but because she wasn't about to stand a few feet away from the Grounder that had shamelessly believed her own biased warrior that she had poisoned peace wine. They may need the Grounders to fight the war against the mountain, but she sure as hell didn't need to be involved in the diplomacy of it all.

Calix walked alongside her and just shrugged. "Kane said that under no circumstances are you allowed to miss this reception. I'm just doing what he asked."

"Since when did you become his lapdog again?"

"Since we bonded over our mutual desire to get down here for you."

She could detect a bitterness in his tone, but she decided not to say anything about it. She'd come to realize, perhaps in an epiphany while she had slept the night Bellamy left with Lincoln, that she..._may _have been too harsh on him. Of course, any sane person would've realized this weeks ago, but she was too good for that. But who could blame her? Some people had a normal, easier defense or coping mechanism. Alessia, unfortunately, had the most irritating trait ever: anger.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think taking orders from Kane would be a mistake," she commented as they came to the hallway to the Ark Station room where the reception was being held. Alessia turned to Calix and watched as his eyes narrowed with confusion, but she just said calmly, "I liked the guy who defied him better."

"Yeah, I noticed. It seems to be your type these days." Truth be told, she didn't know what to expect from her. Perhaps, in a selfish part of her mind, she'd hoped he would forgive her for the horrible things she said and did while under the pressures of the world with Clarke and Bellamy. But the unselfish part of her realized how selfish this really was, and so the words were so foreign and (on some level) too cruel to want to be heard from his mouth, she said nothing and let him walk ahead of her into the reception room, where everyone had already gathered. Alessia sighed and followed in Calix's steps, pushing through the crowd of Sky People as they entered upon Kane's speech.

"And for us to reach it, to get our people out of Mount Weather, we need to work together." Kane turned to Indra. "Ogeda. Skaïru...and Triku. Our survival depends on us sharing our knowledge..."

Alessia yawned, blinking multiple times to try and fix the tiredness she felt aching her body. She could hear the words her father was saying, but she wasn't paying attention. It was bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit. He walked and talked like he was king when, in reality, Abby was the Chancellor, and Abby had the final call. And on top of that, the adults weren't even the ones that were running the show anymore. Clarke negotiated peace. Alessia controlled all the members of the guard that would listen to her. Bellamy was out fighting for his life to sneak into the enemy's fort. Abby and Kane were merely formalities.

Just as Alessia's eyes started to close and she was about to slip into a comfortable standing-up sleep, there was a loud noise in the corner that stopped her father's boring voice from carrying on. Her eyes snapped open at the sound and she turned immediately, as did everyone else, to see as Murphy stumbled back from pushing away a Grounder warrior that looked as pissed as Alessia felt.

And, of course, Kane took it as an opportunity to show off.

"Mr. Murphy!" Kane shouted. Murphy didn't look, but merely stood head-to-head with the Grounder who matched him. "Apologize to that man."

"For what? He was the one who came at me," he snarled.

"Work detail?" This caught Murphy's attention, and he snapped his head to look at Kane. "I just told you, I didn't do it—!"

"Care to make it three?"

Murphy hesitated. Alessia half-expected him to scoff in Kane's face and get himself arrested again, but that wasn't the case, surprisingly. He did the right thing and was the bigger person, merely walking away from the Grounder. Then, the Grounder turned to him as he left and whispered something in his ear. Though the room was silent, it was still difficult to hear the mutter unless you were beside them. Alessia couldn't hear the snide comment, but it must've been terrible enough to have Murphy spin around and punch the Grounder out, causing an uproar. Kane yelled to get Murphy to stop, but the feud was fueled from there. The Grounder's friends started to back him up and the Arkers, though not very fond of Murphy, also protected their own. In a mere three seconds, it was a full-out war in one tiny little room.

Alessia, regardless of the mixed feelings of hatred she'd had for the traitor who'd done so many things to their camp before the adults reached the ground, had no choice to step in. Running on two hours of sleep, however, was starting to get to her. She tried her hardest to break up the fight, but Grounders just piled onto her—too many to take on. She felt her father come up behind her and push two of the Grounders off and then he stopped, staring at the threshold to the room at Jaha. Alessia watched him, but two seconds later, he resumed his typical Kane personality and moved away from her, this time going to pull his own guards off the Grounders that were attacking.

But no matter what he did, all hell broke loose.

* * *

After the disaster that was the reception, the Grounders and the Guards moved out into the yard to begin training. All the Arkers stood around as the warriors fought barbarically, going at each other with everything they had, minus the weapons. Kane watched in wonder, but caught Alessia as she tempted to slip away back to the mechanic's room.

"I'm sure Raven can do without your help today, Alessia," Kane called out after her without moving an inch. She was behind him, but she knew he could still see her. He had eyes in the back of his fucking head. Alessia let out a silent groan and joined him at his side.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Doing what?"

"Holding me as a prisoner to your diplomatic adventure?" she muttered bitterly. "I just want to be with Raven. Is that too much to ask?"

Kane frowned at her. "Alessia, you've been 'with Raven' for two days. And technically, you're not with Raven, you're with that damn radio waiting for Blake to reach the mountain."

Alessia scoffed. "Wow, Dad. Since when do you actually know what's been going on in my life? Yeah, I'm waiting for Bellamy to radio in. Is that a crime?"

"Alessia, what do I do with you?" He sighed, and she looked at him quickly with confusion. "First it was Mercer, now it's Blake. I just got used to the first guy and you're changing things up on me. What's wrong with Calix? He's motivated, driven—"

"And Bellamy isn't?"

Kane turned sharply to face her. "Does it matter? If it were my choice, I would rather you not focus on boys and just concentrate on this war. I could use your help with security around here. I would use you as an example to my men, but you're so tired if I touched you, you would fall over. Is this how you want to live your life? Pining after a pretend soldier on a suicide mission?"

"It isn't a suicide mission!" Alessia's jaw squared tightly as her father impatiently waited for her to continue. "You know what, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I care more about love than I do about shooting guns. I'm sorry that I have feelings and I'm concerned for someone that I care about. I'm even sorry I can't be the perfect daughter that you can show off to all your slaves so they'll obey you!"

"Alessia—"

"No, Dad." She scoffed and started to walk away. "I thought things were different this time. I thought Earth would make things different. I guess I was wrong, and it's fine. We'll just have to go back to the way it was before, then."

He watched as she turned to leave, but if she wanted things to go back to the way it was before, he would give it to her.

"You're banned from the mechanic's station until further notice," Kane called out again over his shoulder. Alessia spun around, her eyes wide, but he kept his back to her. "Go find something to do with the Guards."

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me."

Kane said no more following his command. Alessia watched him, waiting for him to say something else, but when he didn't, she realized she had no choice. Biting back choice words that itched at her tongue, she stormed off to the edge of the yard where one of the soldiers led the day's rounds in practice. A guard politely passed her a gun and she took her turn every few times. Her tiredness affected her shooting, but not by much. Truth be told, she didn't have the motivation to do better. Of course, a half an hour later, Kane decided he wanted to show up at the shooting practice and boss some people around again. He saw his daughter in the crowd, but paid no attention to her. Instead, he coached his soldiers.

"Easy. Control your breathing," he instructed. "Squeeze the trigger, don't pull it."

_Sounds exactly like what I said to Sterling, _Alessia thought, a frown settling upon her lips. She pushed it out of her mind and watched as the guard on duty turned to Kane.

"Sir, we've got an audience."

Marcus turned around to see the Grounders approach them, looking at their guns with curiosity and intrigue.

"Hold your fire!" Kane commanded the soldier who held the gun in his hand. He turned and took the gun out of the soldier's possession and stepped forward. "Observe. Keep a solid stance."

As Kane got into position, a resentful idea passed Alessia's mind. Normally, she would have someone to tell her to think it through—Clarke, of course—but since her friend wasn't there to stop her, she couldn't help herself. Stepping forward a few feet behind Kane and slightly to the right, she pointed her gun and fired four bullets before he even had the chance to think about pulling the trigger. One bullet grazed his clothing, but didn't break sin. Kane turned around immediately to see who the imposter was, and when he saw it was his daughter, he stood with his expression cold to see her triumphant smile at the perfect target in front of her. She shrugged.

"Do you think I need more target practice, Councilor Kane, or am I alright for now?"

Kane scowled. "Alessia, leave the range. Find something more productive to do—_outside_."

Biting the inside of her cheek, she passed her gun to the soldier that gave it to her and went away, still upset, but slightly more relaxed after having shown her father up. She went to watch the warriors train, finding nothing better to do, but out of the corner of her eye saw Octavia rushing across the yard like she was looking for something. It didn't occur to her until Octavia started heading towards her that what she had been searching for was Alessia, herself.

"I haven't heard from—" Alessia began. Octavia shook her head.

"I know, I checked earlier." She waved her hand. "It's not about that. I need to ask you a favor."

Alessia cocked an eyebrow. "Of course. What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong, I just want your help. Come with me?"

"Are we gonna be out here? Because if not, I might have to ask my father. He's in a _mood _and I've been banned from visiting Raven. If he sees me going inside the station, he might think I'm going for her."

Octavia hesitated and looked around before turning back and quickly saying. "It's fine, we can stay out here. Come on."

Pushing through the crowd of other warriors and Arkers, Octavia and Alessia walked through the yard until they reached the secluded spot behind the piece of wreckage that the teenagers always gathered around, seeing as it was far enough that none of the Guards patrolled it. When they were behind the wreckage, Octavia reached into the pocket of her clothes and swung out a sword, making Alessia jump back with her hand up.

"Whoa! Octavia, I know you're protective of your brother, but I worked it out! I worked it out!" she exclaimed. Octavia rolled her eyes and put down her sword.

"No...Alessia, I'm not here to fight you because of Bellamy." She gripped the sword tighter in her hand and swallowed. "I need you to teach me how to fight."

Alessia straightened. "Like...combat training?"

"Sorta." She looked down at the sword. "I mean, I would prefer it if I could fight with a sword..."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Lesson one about the field, Octavia, you're never guaranteed a weapon." Alessia paused. "Shit, I sound like Marcus."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"For me? Yeah. Put down the sword," she demanded. Octavia nodded and threw the sword down on the ground beside them. As she did so, Alessia reached up and tied her hair in a knot to get comfortable. Octavia watched as she sighed and put her hands by her side. "Okay, so you want to know how to fight? Well, you came to the right girl at the right time. I've got some tension built up and fighting helps me get it out."

"I know what you mean," Octavia agreed. Alessia nodded and put her hands up.

"You've had to fight before." Though it wasn't posed as a question, Octavia nodded. "And you know that it's hard when you go up against someone who's twice as skilled as you are. But the trick is, strategy is just as useful as strength. Predictability is destruction. When you fight..." Octavia copied Alessia as she put up her hands into fists and watched as she smiled. "You fight until someone is on the floor, covered in their own blood, begging for sweet mercy."

It was an odd saying, but Octavia had no time to think it over before Alessia stepped forward and swung her first blow.

Four hours later and Alessia finally called a break as it started to drizzle outside. Both sweating from their intense combat session, the two teenagers stopped their fighting to wander around to the side to catch their breaths.

"You did great, Octavia," Alessia said, leaning over slightly to get more air. Octavia hissed as her fingers traced over a few bruises on her arm.

"Yeah? Because I feel like I got my ass kicked."

"Of course did." She chuckled. "You're not gonna get sixteen years of combat fighting in two hours! If you can make a little time for me every day, I can teach you almost everything I know."

Octavia looked up. "Almost?"

"Well, if I teach you everything I know, what's the point in me being around then?" She smiled as Octavia sighed and walked over to grab her sword. Alessia could tell that Octavia wasn't completely satisfied. "Octavia, is everything okay?"

"Perfect." Octavia turned around as she slipped her sword into her jacket and turned around at Alessia with a polite smile. "Thank you, Alessia. I really appreciate you helping me."

"Anytime. Where are you going?"

"To...uh, get some water. I'm parched."

"Could you get me some? I'm not allowed to go inside, remember?" Alessia asked. Octavia nodded.

"Sure. I'll be back in a few."

But Alessia could tell something was off. Octavia sprinted off somewhere, and when she rounded the corner of the Ark Station, she couldn't see where she had gone to. At this point, the rain turned into a pour, turning the dirt around her feet into a puddle of sticky mud. It was hard to see outside because it was night, but she managed to maneuver her way around the patches of mud far enough to get to the grassier area, where she ran through it until she reached the yard. All the warriors were gathered together behind Indra as Octavia stepped in front of her.

"Oh, _shit_," Alessia cursed to herself as she watched the scene before her unfold.

"Time for one more?" Octavia challenged the head warrior. Indra scowled.

"Step aside, Sky Girl. We're hungry."

"Make me."

She pleaded as Indra hesitated, begging whatever God out there to make Indra grow into a bigger person and leave the challenge. But Octavia had poked her long enough, making the warrior want to prove a point, of course. Kane and his men stepped to the side of the ordeal, watching as Indra called out behind her.

"Fio! Give this girl what she wants!"

Octavia looked over Indra's shoulder to see the Grounder swing his weapon at her, and Octavia just moved forward two stepped into the cleared area and circled each other. The Grounder tried to scare Octavia, but she didn't flinch.

"Let's do this," Octavia whispered to herself before striking forward, unable to get even a swing of her sword in before the Grounder struck ten times as hard and moved twice as swift, bringing her to the ground. When the Grounder had swung her over her shoulder so hard that she landed a few feet away from him, he figured she was done and tried to walk away. Instead, the determined Blake shouted, "Hey, are you going to give up that easily?"

"She wants more? Oblige her!" Indra demanded. As she saw the Grounder coming for her, Octavia lifted herself from the muddy ground and quickly used her sword to block the attack she had coming towards her. She managed to get the Grounder to shy away from her, and as she moved to throw a punch, he grabbed her arm and struck her back, and it was a series of blows from there. One in the chest, one in the face, and one that knocked her all the way back onto the muddy floor.

Alessia so badly wanted to step in, but she knew that if she did, Octavia would never forgive her and that the poor girl would end up being the laughing stock of Grounder gossip. But Alessia couldn't bare to see the young girl get hurt. With every blow, she flinched and clenched her fist so tight so she wouldn't interrupt.

"Indra!" Kane shouted as he stepped forward. "Stop this."

But she didn't listen to him. Commanding her warrior to finish what Octavia had started, the Grounder moved forward to strike Octavia once more. Instead, the brave girl got up and, unpredictably, threw several punches in a row, taking the warrior off guard. Eventually, however, he regained his caution and threw one single blow that had her spinning until she landed on her back and groaned aloud. He turned to his friends, but Octavia was relentless. He saw her get up and make her way to him, stopping her hand mid-punch. She spit up the blood in her mouth as a distraction tactic but was too weak to follow through. Alessia winced as he swung forward and punched her in the stomach, throwing her back once more. Octavia had been good with her, but if she had asked if she was ready to go up against a Grounder, Alessia would've said no straight from the get-go. The warrior kicked her while she was down and, as she rolled over, coughing up blood, he loomed over her, about to strike again.

Instead, Indra came over and clasped her hand on his shoulder. Presumably, she told him to back down, as the warrior stepped away and observed the bleeding girl. As Indra fled, her warriors followed to find dinner for the night. As soon as they were gone, Alessia sprinted over to Octavia in the pouring rain and pulled her friend up from the ground. She was too weak to stand on her own, so Alessia threw her arm around her shoulders.

"You know how we all have nicknames?" Alessia grunted as Octavia panted from the pain. "Clarke is Princess, Bellamy is Messiah, I'm Robin Hood? Well, I think I just found yours."

Octavia coughed before croaking, "What is it?"

"Crazy bitch."

* * *

The day's events had taken a toll on her. An hour after the Grounders brought back food from their hunt, Kane found Alessia passed out, looking extremely uncomfortable practically submerged in mud. He sighed down at his irresponsible, reckless daughter and looked up to find someone to help him move her to a place where she wouldn't snore and inhale insects that nested in the ground.

"Mercer!" Kane called out as he saw Calix standing a few feet away, just getting up from eating his dinner. Calix came at his call and found Alessia sleeping at Kane's feet. Kane exhaled, irritated, and pointed down at his daughter. "Take her to her tent, please. Put her to bed."

As Kane turned, Calix looked after him and said hesitantly, "She's not going to like the fact that I moved her."

Marcus looked back at him. "And why not?"

"She has a thing about being carried. Hates it. She'll kill me in the morning if she finds out."

"Then she won't find out." Kane shrugged and waved his hand. "Trust me, she'll thank us one day when her hair's not ruined because of the dirt she bathed in."

He left afterwards, leaving Calix no choice but to obey orders. Reaching down, he swept her up into his arms and cautiously carried Alessia back to her tent, preying she wouldn't wake up. But from the looks of it, she was so tired that she was practically knocked out cold. He even walked past the Grounders howling over their food and she still didn't wake up.

Finally, he put her in her tent. Although one half of her body was covered in dirt, she slept as soundly as she would if she were still in the mud. However, now more comfortable, he could hear her start to snore. Calix snickered under his breath before leaving Alessia's tent, zipping it up so that she would finally have a good night's sleep for the first time in two days.

When he walked outside, he took a moment to be aware of his surroundings, and he saw someone in the corner staring at him. Catching her gaze, Calix realized it was Zoe who watched as he had come in and out of Alessia's tent. Her sharp look practically threw knives, as if cursing him for going back to her so quickly. But he couldn't help it. He could be mad at Alessia all he wanted, but he loved her. That night with Zoe didn't make it go away.

So, although he could tell she was mad at him, he turned and walked off by himself, avoiding her. Maybe if he avoided it long enough, it would be like it never happened..

* * *

**Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Thanks for reading! Please review!**

(**PS:** I'm thinking about making a **special AU the 100 fanfic with Alessia and Bellamy** in a non-apocalyptic world where they have (somewhat) normal people problems. **Tell me what you think**!)

* * *

**Eli Gilbert: **I'm not sure if that definition is supposed to tell me that my character is a Mary Sue or what but I strongly disagree. Thank you for your review, though. Your opinion is appreciated.

**RHatch89: **Thank you!

**sarahmichellegellarfan1: **Thanks!

**ThisIsMeAndYou: **Haha we'll see. I'm weighing my options with Calix's next love interest, but Z is in the running for now. But she might end up just being a means to an end. Thanks for the review!

**Guest: **Thank you. I appreciate your opinion, although I disagree. Thank you for reviewing and giving this story a chance. I'm sorry it wasn't able to hold your attention.

**Guest: **Thank you!

**Summer: **Yeah, I feel bad for him, too. Haha but yes, Bellessia! Thanks for the review :)

**LovelyFandomLover: **Haha I know, I love it! Aw, thanks! Yeah, Z's intense. I mean, he is trying to move on, but he won't really move on until he and Alessia have a talk about their non-relationship/relationship. Bellamy and Alessia's last scene was really intense and it nearly made me cry because it was just sad to think about the fact that they're not gonna be in another scene for like 6 more episodes which is upsetting. Thanks for the review!

**katiesgotagun: **Aw thank you! They're cute :) Yes shit is gonna hit the fan soon. Thank you! Here's the update!

**Asma20: **Sorta? She's a confusing girl. It's more of an inference than an actual "I CHOOSE BELLAMY" sort of thing. She's insinuated that she loves him and she's blown Calix off enough that it's safe to say she's made a choice. However, that doesn't mean that Calix and Alessia are off entirely. They need a bit of closure, which will be satisfied over the next few chapters before Alessia and Bellamy reunite in the finale. Thanks for reviewing!

**caymanislands: **Haha wow I'm honored! Thanks for reading it all! Yeah they're cute :)

**keikei313: **Alessia's worry for Bellamy was so cute in this chapter. But I had to balance it out with Kane being a jerk to her, of course, because it would be boring for her to just be waiting for the radio the entire episode. I haven't decided if that's what's gonna happen yet, but there's a pretty good chance that it is. Thanks for reviewing!

**A: **Sorry! Aw thanks! Yeah, I was originally going to have it be Raven, and then I changed it because I figured we could use a change. I think it really set the stage for Bellamy leaving, too. Alessia and Clarke are like sisters, you know? And Bellamy's like that buffer between them, but without him...it's gonna be tough. Their roles are going to reverse and Clarke's gonna think like Bellamy and Alessia's gonna think like Clarke and it's going to be tough for them to really get back to this friendship that they had before the war broke out. Like I said, I don't know if that's what's going to happen, but there's a good possibility of it. Their friendship will be strained regardless, just because of what happened with the bomb even if Clarke does tell her. Here's the update! Sorry it took so long.

**Guest: **Not sure yet, but there's a pretty good chance that she won't. Clarke is too preoccupied to save her, even if she did know. Yes, exactly. Even though Kane and Alessia were strained in this chapter, she would never let her father die. No of course not! Princess Hood will always be around. Here's the update! Sorry for the wait.

**minitwin1: **Soon, dear! Soon.

**caymanislands: **That's a really good idea, but I have something in mind for the finale already. The only reason I say that is because for Season 3, I'm hoping to shake things up a bit with Alessia's character and her personality, combat-wise. If Season 3 goes well once it airs and if my idea for the finale checks out, we may be seeing a side of Alessia we've never seen before...one that doesn't fight. It'll be a ride, and we'll see. Thanks for the suggestion though!

**pureO: **Aw I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, the thing is, I keep forgetting that Alessia's a teenager too and I realized that she needed a little moment of imperfection there, you know? She's mature 24/7 and I figured seeing Z can bring back a little of her immature side, just because Z is that type of person that just gets under your skin. Thank you!

**Animals9990: **Thanks! Yeah, that was one of my options but I figured...Alessia's been hurt enough you know? She has like 12 unhealed injuries, I figured I'd give her a break :P Thanks again!

**YoungAndCrazyForever464: **I do my best not to make it cheesy. And with this new Bellessia story that I'm thinking about, it's also (hopefully) not going to be cheesy, too, it's got its own plot that really makes you care about the characters not about the love story. Thank you so much, that is always nice to hear. Sorry for the wait! Here's the update.

**Guest: **SORRY! Here's the update!

**nearlyheadlesspotter: **Wow! Thank you! Aw, thanks. Here's the update!

**Boomer 1125: **Thank you!


	24. Coup de Grâce

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Coup de Grâce**

_Whoosh. _

Alessia's eyes snapped open to the sun, blinding and bright overhead. Squinting at the light, annoyed, she dropped her arm from her forehead and lifted herself from the log she had propped herself up on to enjoy some of the rare sun that was shining down upon them in the middle of Camp Jaha. She should've known it would get herself into trouble, but she was a troublemaker, after all. Of course, that was what her dad had called her when demanding yet again that she not spend her entire day inside with Raven.

The sound that had snapped her out of her peaceful meditation happened to be a challenge of sorts. When she lifted herself, she realized (after the head rush) that there was an arrow in her log, about an inch or two away from where her head had been when she was lying down. Slightly peeved, her eyebrows knotted and she looked up to find a Grounder lowering his man-made bow with a soft, arrogant grin.

"What the hell, dude?" she muttered as she reached forward and yanked the arrow out of the log. "I get it, we're enemies and all. No reason to go throwing arrows at my head."

The Grounder chuckled. "You're the Skayon who bested Commander Kane yesterday?"

"Commander Kane," Alessia growled under her breath in disdain. "More like Commander Dick."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing." She lifted herself from the log and smiled as sweetly as she could muster. "Yes, that'd be me. I'm the daughter of 'Commander Kane', actually."

The Grounder cocked his head, as if intrigued. "Of course. I can see it clearly now. You and your father look very similar. Tell me, Skaigada, what is your intention out here sleeping in the middle of warriors?"

Alessia shrugged with a curt look on her face as she walked away from the Grounder, but he only followed her. "Let's just say I like to live on the edge. What are you doing throwing arrows at my head? I don't even know you." She threw a look over her shoulder. "Maybe you should tell me your name before you start trying to kill me, huh?"

"Takeo." The Grounder laughed under his breath, only to be courteous. "And I was not trying to kill you, Skaigada. I was only curious. They say you are one of the best soldiers at this camp—"

The brunette teenager hid a smile. "Well, not to sound narcissistic or anything but...yeah. They would be right, then."

"..._but," _Takeo added, not quite finished, "I have yet to witness your skill. I would like to challenge you."

Alessia came to a slow before completely stopping, her back to the Grounder, contemplating what he had said. _Damn, this guy works fast. _She turned around and hesitated for a moment before giving him a diplomatic, yet peeved, smile.

"You sure do cut to the chase, don't you?"

"Warriors do not hesitate, Skaigada."

"Right. And what is this 'challenge'? You want me to fight you?" She had to admit that she was intrigued, if anything, at the warrior's proposal. She hadn't been on a one-on-one fight against a Grounder in an unusually long time, she thought. It was an enticing idea merely based on the fact that she was sitting around, bored, and wanted some action for a change. However, instead of agreeing, Takeo shook his head in rejection.

"I have already seen your capabilities in combat. I was referring to a more difficult challenge."

Now this sparked her interest, and also her competitiveness. "Such as?"

Fifteen minutes later, the Grounder Alessia had acquainted herself with was standing with a bow pressed slightly against his mouth, his feet shoulder-with apart and in perfect alignment with the rest of his body. With his chin tipped slightly upwards, Takeo gently pulled back on the bow and it went flying into the target they had made from scratch, a tree with knife etchings on it to resemble a bullseye, and with seemingly no effort at all, the arrow glided into the niche at the center of the target. Alessia rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. The Grounder in front of her looked back at the Sky Girl with a soft smile.

"This is my challenge, Skaigada." He extended the bow and arrow towards her. "Do you accept?"

"Accept?" The female Kane marched forward as she tied her hair behind her head and snatched the bow out of Takeo's hand, taking an arrow from her feet. She scoffed. "Of course I _accept. _This is a piece of cake. You know what they call me around here, strange Grounder? Robin Hood. You know what Robin Hood is known for? A bow and arrow. I've got this."

Takeo held up his hands with a shrug and stepped back, watching as Alessia took a breath and positioned herself in line with the target. _It's just like shooting a gun, _she thought, narrowing her eyes at the bullseye, aiming right next to the arrow Takeo had thrown. After thoughtful preparation, with a cocky smile, she released her hand from the bow and the arrow went flying—but not to the bullseye.

Instead, it went a whopping two feet in front of her and landed on the ground lamely, along with her pride. A brief moment of silence washed over Alessia and the Grounder, during which Alessia was absolutely positive the Grounder was biting back his vindictive laughs, and she just couldn't comprehend why it didn't go the way she wanted it to. Frustrated, she bent down and grabbed the arrow again.

"Do-over!" she demanded, setting her bow again. Takeo opened his mouth to protest, but she shot the arrow before he could have a chance. This time, it flew in the air, but it landed thirty feet to the left of where the tree was. Alessia lowered the bow in her hand to her side and shook her head. "What the actual fuck?"

"Guess you're not as good as you'd like to think, Skaigada." Takeo reached forward and took his bow out of her hand, noticing Alessia's extremely pissed off face. This time, he didn't bother to hide his laughs politely. "Would you like me to teach you?"

"Like hell!" Alessia nearly screamed. "No one has to teach me anything! I'm Alessia goddamn Kane! I'm a _superstar _at this camp! I can make a perfect shot dozens of yards away! Shots that no one else can make!"

"Yes, but have you ever used a bow and arrow before?"

"No...but what does that matter?!"

"It takes a particular set of skills."

She scowled, and it was as if he had just turned his hand back and gave her one hearty slap in the face. Her mouth nearly dropped to the floor in offense.

"You didn't not just say that to me." He shrugged, but did not recant his statement. She felt as if there was a sharp cold wind that had suddenly blown over her, and she felt very small. It was a feeling Alessia Kane had never familiarized herself with. It made her angrier, and so she crossed her arms defensively and huffed. "All right, Grounder God. Teach me how it's done, I _dare_ you. I bet that at the end of your training session, I'll be ten times as good at it as you are."

Despite her frustration, Takeo kindly taught her what she wanted to know. As the sun made its way across the sky, Alessia must've pulled back her bow fifty times, after each one stopping to realize what she did wrong and correct it. Takeo quickly realized that she did possess the particular set of skills, but the weapon was her issue. She was treating the bow and arrow as the bow was her barrel and the arrow her bullet, but that was not the case. The swiftness and grace of the bow was something Skaikru's weapons lacked; the art of handling a bow could not be replicated by the formation of handling a gun. Once Alessia realized this (once she put this into effect, rather), it was fairly simple from there. Her coordination and focus attributed quite nicely to launching her arrow, which, after the fortieth try, finally hit the bullseye. From there, it was smooth sailing. Of course, as she had told Sterling back when she was teaching the delinquents how to handle the guns they acquired from the bunker, she made a valid point: it was one thing to succeed with a still object, another to prevail when the target was live. Alessia ached to test her newfound skills, but when night fell, she would have to wait.

However, her time came as soon as dawn broke over the horizon. Kane heard, via the Grounders, that Abby and Clarke would be coming back to camp. Alessia was with Takeo on training ground (voluntarily, this time), making sure her skills had not dissipated in her sleep. As she scored the bullseye yet again and proclaimed ultimate triumph, her father approached her side.

"Dad." Alessia cleared her throat and straightened as she lowered her bow to her side. He eyed it suspiciously, but did not question her sudden interest in being anywhere else but Raven's workroom. Clearly, though, she was still peeved with him, as she merely hissed, "What do you want? I'm out here, aren't I?"

Kane lifted the gun in his hand and extended it towards her, along with a radio. "We were informed that Abby and Clarke are coming back from Tondc. I want you to head to the edge of the perimeter and keep an eye out for them. Radio back when you spot them."

Alessia eyed the gun and the radio in her father's hand, but a bright idea blossomed over her face. Instead of accepting his weapon, she took the radio from his hand and merely held up her bow.

"I think I'm gonna use this instead." She turned and glanced at Takeo before looking back at her dad, who was scowling intensely. "Takeo will come with me, too."

"Alessia, I would feel better about your safety if you took the gun."

"And I would feel better about my safety if I was immortal but"—she chuckled, almost sarcastically—"that's not gonna happen. I don't want the gun, but thanks."

Her father could tell she had some bitter feelings about his recent cruelty, forbidding her to spend any more time pining after Bellamy, waiting for his call. But, in his mind, he was only doing what he thought was right. What kind of strong, independent woman sat around in a hole in the wall waiting for her so-called 'boyfriend' to return from war? A daughter who was raised by a kind, gentle mother and a careless father would fall subject to it, but Alessia? Kane raised her to be strong; he raised her to be self-sufficient. He wouldn't stand for her giving her own to someone who could die at any moment. She had to learn how to survive.

So, deciding not to pick a fight that would end up in an inevitable stalemate, Kane lowered the gun in his hand and shrugged.

"If you say so." He looked over at the exit of Camp Jaha. "Get moving, then, Alessia. Take your friend with you."

Kane eyed Takeo with a sort of suspicion that Alessia couldn't help but pick up on. She realized it very quickly: Kane didn't trust him. In fact, she was sure that Kane didn't trust any of the Grounders. It was almost as if he were acting upon the old saying, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" on account of Clarke's deal with Lexa. She didn't blame him, to be honest—although, she did admit that Takeo was an usually trustworthy Grounder. That was not to say that she would trust him with her life, but she did appreciate his helpfulness in collaborating with her on archery. It gave her a tiny inkling of hope when it came to the new Grounder alliance.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the gun?" Takeo asked as Kane walked further away from them. Alessia picked up the arrow basket from the ground and slung it over her shoulder while narrowing her eyes at Takeo.

"What? You don't think I'm ready for the field?"

"It's not that, it's just—"

"Save it. Nothing you can say will stop me now." She turned towards the path to the exit. "I'm telling you right now, I'm gonna encounter a Mountain Men or...something. It's gonna be a live target of some kind and I'm gonna destroy it. Would you like to see that?"

Takeo scoffed. "Is that meant to be a question?"

She smiled. "Good. Come on, then. Let's go kick some ass."

* * *

Maybe she should start a running list of all the things Takeo was making her do that she had never done before. On top of learning how to shoot a bow and arrow for the first time, Takeo taught her the ever-so-loved Grounder technique of hiding in the trees. Despite the difficulty, she scaled one beside the one he chose, ensuring that it had the height and stability to sustain her. He stopped about halfway through the tree, close enough to see the woods beyond them but also far enough so that they would not be spotted easily.

_Never scaled a tree before, _Alessia thought to herself, slightly impressed when she managed to survive. The view before her was absolutely astonishing: the woods were no longer a path of dirt and bushes, but rather miles of scenery that looked like it belonged in one of Clarke's paintings. She sat there for a moment, completely taken away by the beauty of Earth, a sight that she had noticed but had never seen before.

Then, a dark thought crossed her mind. _Spacewalker would've loved this. _

"Our scouts patrol these woods! Be careful where you shoot." Alessia was snapped out of her nostalgic moment as she recognized the sound of a voice beneath her. Clarke. Looking in the clumps of bushes that acted as a field between the trees, Alessia could make out a blonde head and a brunette stopped, facing each other, while the rest of the riders manned the cavalry. Alessia pulled out her radio immediately.

"Clarke and Chancellor Abby spotted. About ten minutes out." Alessia put the radio away and watched as Clarke and her mother stood against each other for a moment or two, and then finally, Clarke turned back and Abby shouted for the riders to move out. Right as she did, however, Alessia noticed something strange.

"What...what is that?" she murmured to herself, squinting down between the leaves of her tree to focus on the two grey specks she could see in the midst of bushes. At first, she thought it was just a small puddle, but then she realized: Mountain Men. Two of them, lying down hidden in the bushes; they were snipers. Before she could even think to ask Takeo for help, she took it upon herself to do what she came out there to do. Alessia pulled back her bow like she practiced and sent the arrow flying down from the tree. What she didn't account for, however, was the delay in the arrow's response time. The Mountain Man had managed to fire a shot before the arrow penetrated his neck, likely killing him.

As soon as the chaos erupted, Alessia dismounted herself from the tree. It must've taken her longer, though, since Takeo was already down and about ready to rush out, but he was waiting for her to join him. The two of them sprinted to where they had estimated the men in the grey suits were, only to find Indra and Octavia on the other side of them. One of the Mountain Men, the one who was not injured by Alessia's arrow, stood up and prepared to run for it. One of Indra's men behind her started to ran after the Mountain Man, but Indra stopped him.

"No!" Indra shouted determinedly. "Her kill."

Octavia charged forward and engaged in furious hand-to-hand combat with the Mountain Man, who held himself exceptionally well for one of them. He managed to inflict pain upon Octavia, but she merely came back stronger. Her sword, long and mighty, slashed across the Mountain Man's grey suit, infiltrating the air tank that processed his clean, filtered air that kept him alive. At the sound of the air whistling, the Mountain Man stepped away from Octavia and desperately tried to patch up the breach, and this allowed her to kick him down to the ground and pull his head back at her mercy, the sword at his throat. She could see the burns on his face and realized he was close to his end. Octavia looked up, where Indra had no patience.

"Finish it!"

"Octavia! No!" Right as Octavia was about to slash the Mountain Man's throat, Clarke rode in beside Alessia and Takeo shaking her head. "He's from Mount Weather. We need to keep him alive." She looked over at Alessia on the ground. "Check to see if he's got a patch kit. We need to get him back to camp."

Alessia nodded and ran over to the Mountain Man, who was screaming in agony from the burns forming on his skin from the radiation. Octavia stepped aside, slightly frustrated that she did not get to kill the enemy, but merely walked over to the dead Mountain Man's pack, rummaging for clues. As Alessia finally got her hands on a patch kit, she heard Clarke's confused voice.

"What is that?"

Octavia hesitated in response, holding a bunch of pictures in her hand she had found in the Mountain Man's pack. When she realized what they were, she stormed over to the blonde riding the chestnut horse.

"Clarke." Octavia handed her the pictures. "You and Lexa were the targets."

Indra's eyes widened. "We have to warn the Commander! Sen op oso mou snap hosa ona Tondisi. Nau! [_Send our fastest riders to Tondc. Now!_]"

Immediately in response, the rider beside Clarke turned and whipped his horse to a resounding gallop. Clarke barely even noticed. She could hear the cries of the Mountain Man who was being affected by the radiation, but all she could see were the red circles around her face and Lexa's.

The Mountain Men were after them. They were running out of time.

* * *

"Jackson!" Abby screamed as she, Clarke, and a bunch of others rushed into the designated medical center as they stormed upon camp. Alessia was helping Abby carry the Grounder who was shot by the bullet meant for Clarke when Alessia had deterred him with the arrow to his jugular. "We've got two patients. You get the radiation burns, I've got the gunshot wounds."

Jackson, Abby's medical assistant, nodded and moved to Clarke, who was looking over the Mountain Man with the radiation burns, deciding what to do with him. Meanwhile, Abby looked up at the guards who had helped her carry the Grounder in with a sense of urgency flaming in her eyes.

"I need blood. O-Neg. A lot!"

"Abby, what do you want me to do?" Alessia asked as she stood to the side of the Grounder's gurney, inherently overwhelmed. Abby shook her head.

"Damn it! He's lost too much blood. Alessia, put your hands here. Put a lot of pressure on it." The teenager stepped forward and placed her hands where Abby wanted them. As soon as her hands were in place, Abby hissed to herself as she realized she was losing the Grounder quickly. Alessia kept her hands tight and firm on the Grounder's wound, but there was too much blood. It started to soak her hands, no matter how much pressure she exerted.

"I need the blood now!" Abby yelled and moved her blood-coated hands over to the Grounder's sticky face. "Okay. Come on, stay with me. Come on, fight!"

But as soon as she yelled in the Grounder's face to keep going, he stopped. The blood loss was too much for him, and once his eyes rolled back and his eyelids closed, there was no coming back from it. Disappointed, Abby set the Grounder's head down gently on the gurney and turned back to Alessia, who was watching with wide, scarred eyes as she could legitimately feel the blood flow stop beneath her hands. Abby nodded at her.

"He's gone."

The moment Abby declared the time of death, Indra walked over to the head of the gurney and looked down at her own.

"Yu gonplei ste oden." From the corner of her eye, she looked at Clarke, who stood watching from where the Mountain Man was lying in the medical room. Indra stalked over to her, looking with never-ending criticism. "A killer lives while a warrior dies? This is your way?"

"I'm sorry, Indra." Clarke gestured down at the enemy. "But he can tell us about Mount Weather."

"Then let _me _make him talk."

"No. We're not torturing him."

"Clarke's right." Abby chimed in, causing Indra and Clarke to break focus to look at her. The doctor was covered in blood, shaken up, but still strong. "He might just talk because we saved his life."

But Indra wasn't buying it. She looked at Abby and Clarke with disgust in her eye and hissed, "You people are so _weak._"

That said, Indra stormed out of the room angrily, like she always was. Alessia followed suit soon after, going to rid herself of the Grounder blood that stained her hands. Takeo found her while she was running water on them, attempting to scrub the hardened blood away, though it was proving to be difficult.

"Are you satisfied with your accomplishment today?" he asked her. She cocked an eyebrow. "The arrow."

"Oh. That? Of course."

"Good." He reached beside him and grabbed one of the guns from the supply table. It looked awkward in the Grounder's hand, and yet he passed it to her. "I think maybe you should stick to mechanical weapons from now on."

She frowned and took the rifle from him. "Why?"

"You've beaten me, Skaigada. Nothing left to prove."

* * *

Kane was tired of the runaround. He stared into the airlock, growing more and more impatient with every passing second.

"Please answer the question."

The Mountain Man inside of the sealed airlock did the same, staring blankly at the man outside with nothing but an emotionless expression all over his face. "Carl Emerson. Mount Weather Security Detail."

"You already said. You don't seem to be grasping the situation here." The urgency was evidence in Kane's tone. Alessia held back a sour laugh. Clarke raised her eyebrows but continued to study the target pictures Octavia had recovered from the other man's backpack. Abby stared into the airlock, too, waiting for the Mountain Man to give them answers. "You should've died in the woods. We saved your life. Why not help us bring an end to all this?"

The Mountain Man looked down at the floor for a few moments, as if contemplating answering Kane's question once and for all. But, of course, his loyalties betrayed him.

"Carl Emerson. Mount Weather Security Detail."

Kane lifted his head in frustration, and it seemed pointless thereon.

"He's not gonna talk," Clarke informed them with a sour undertaking to her voice. There was a long silence, but finally, Kane responded.

"He will if we open the door."

At this, the Mountain Man's back straightened. Kane could see the fear in the man's eyes realizing that he would have to relive the radiation exposure a second time. Considering how painful it had been earlier, Kane was sure that the man did not want to relive the experience. But as soon as Kane said something, Abby's eyes widened, and she stormed over beside Kane to the microphone that let them speak to Emerson. She switched it off, causing Emerson to hear nothing but a high-pitched noise behind the door.

"We are not doing that," she determined, turning her back. Kane whipped around defensively.

"We need to know what he knows!" While Kane and Abby fought, Alessia looked at the other possessions they had stumbled upon in the man's backpack. Amongst them was a long, cylindrical object that looked like some sort of transmitter. She looked up at Clarke, who eyed it as well, gently taking it out of Alessia's hand to examine the piece of metal. In the background, Kane continued. "Vulnerabilities. Troop numbers."

_Always thinking like a Commander_.

"She's right." Clarke looked up and shook her head at Kane. "Torture doesn't work."

"I beg to differ," Alessia said after a while, causing Clarke to turn to her with a cocked eyebrow. She looked at her blonde friend, who waited for her to elaborate. "Come on, Clarke. This guy will never talk unless he has a reason to. You and I both know they've already started bleeding our friends. This can be our chance to gain an advantage."

But Abby wouldn't hear it. "I'm the Chancellor."

"Then act like one!" Kane yelled, causing everyone to stop. He stepped forward angrily. "I told you, I would support you as long as I believe that you were doing the right thing."

"I am!" The Chancellor argued. "And if you disagree, convene a vote and take my place."

"I don't give a _damn _about the title! I just want to save our people."

"So do I." The argument cooled off with Abby's proclamation and Kane's reluctance to respond. Abby looked back at the soldier beside of her and raised a stern finger towards the airlock. "I want this man under _twenty-four hour guard. _Is that clear?"

The Guard nodded, and soon after, Abby left them. Kane walked off as well, leaving Alessia and Clarke both staring at the Mountain Man inside of the airlock. Alessia turned to Clarke and, underneath her breath, hissed, "Clarke, you know he won't talk unless we make him. You know that."

"We can't." Clarke shook her head. Alessia threw up her hands.

"Why not?!" At this point, her frustration had mounted significantly. "You want to stop Mount Weather, Clarke? This is it. This is what we have to do. I hate to say it, but I agree with Kane. I do. I'm being entirely realistic here."

Clarke glanced at Emerson, and back at Alessia. "Let's give him a chance to think it over. To talk. If he doesn't, we'll take it from there."

Without much left to say, Clarke also turned and walked away, put Alessia was too preoccupied to go with her. Thirty minutes later, she was called back to the airlock, where Abby was waiting. They both waited for Clarke and Kane to arrive, and when they did, Abby told them the news.

"Did he say something?" Kane demanded.

"No." Abby turned around and looked at him. "But his blood did. Jackson found genetic marker anomalies that can only come from someone on the Ark."

"It started." Despite the coined term "jumping to conclusions", Clarke looked at Emerson through the airlock doors with a fire blazing in her eyes. Kane looked at Abby, confused.

"It didn't come from the blood transfusion?"

"No. I took the sample before that."

"They're bleeding my friends."

Marcus shook his head. "We don't know that."

"Yes, we do! We were genetically engineered. They weren't!" As if she were possessed by some deep anger that boiled when she saw Emerson's face, Clarke rushed forward for the airlock door, only to be stopped by Kane.

"What are you doing?"

"Killing him. Get out of my way, Kane!"

He forced her back and looked at her with reasoned eyes. "Calm down."

"Killing him isn't the answer." Alessia looked back at Emerson and ran her tongue over her teeth. "But making him talk is. We have to open the airlock. We have to show him we mean business."

"No." Abby looked back and forth between Clarke and Alessia sternly. "You two are not in charge here. We do things my way."

Clarke looked at her mother with the upmost stubbornness, but did not say a single word. Her teeth gritted, and instead of arguing, she just turned on her heel and walked to wherever she had come from. Alessia looked up at her father, whose eyes said not to say anything and leave. So, reluctantly as well, Alessia left in a different direction from Clarke, hoping to cool herself down. They all knew that the right thing was to make Emerson talk, but Abby just didn't want to admit that the most effective way to do that would be to 'inspire' him to make that judgement call.

But instead of being with Clarke because (let's face it) she wasn't really in the mood to deal with it, Alessia went back outside to the training grounds, where she found Takeo sharpening a sword on a log. With a frustrated breath, she sat down next to him, a troubled look on her face. He stared for a moment before raising an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay?"

"No." Her blunt response was odd, but nevertheless refreshing. "I'm surrounded by idiots. _Idiots_ who don't know what the hell they're dong. _Idiots_ who think that we can win this dumb war by playing the diplomat. _Idiots _who don't realize my friends are being drained of their blood. _Idiots _who send my boyfriend off on a suicide mission and don't even have the audacity to apologize!"

The last part, while obviously sudden, came out a lot faster and harsher than the rest. Alessia paused, reflecting on her words. Through the chaos, she'd forgotten that, while that statement was true, there was a more important part: Bellamy was still gone. She hadn't been to Raven in nearly two days. But what was the use? Would she sit by the phone and wait? What if he was dead and she was just holding onto hope that wasn't there? No doubt, that's where Clarke had been all day. But it wasn't Bellamy's safety that mattered to Clarke, only the fact that he was actually in the mountain and could lower their defenses.

Takeo shrugged. "I believe your warrior should be fine."

"Warrior." Alessia smiled. "More like Messiah, actually."

"Messiah, then. You don't think he can handle himself?"

"I never said that. He's more than capable of coming back alive, but I'm not worried about him, I'm worried about everyone else coming _after _him. He's like a pathogen in that damn mountain. The second they know about his existence—and let's face it, it won't be long—they'll turn on him. White blood cells rushing to defeat him. A man against a man is a fair fight, one that I'm sure Bellamy could win." Alessia let out a worrisome sigh. "A man against an army...may be a problem for him."

Takeo set down his sword and looked over at her. "Would he say the same about you? That you may not win against an army?"

Alessia locked eyes with Takeo and broke out into laughter. "Please. You haven't seen me against an army, Takeo. I was trained since birth to be a mean, lean, fighting machine. _I _can handle it. He'd have no reason to be worried."

He gave her a pointed look as she disputed his comment. "Well then, Skaigada...maybe you should give him the same courtesy." She frowned as she processed his words, but then Takeo inhaled sharply. "Maybe it's not that you're worried about his safety, huh? What if you're only angry at the idiot, the one who sent him off?"

"The idiot was Clarke." Alessia ran a hand through her hair with a scoff. "And of course I'm angry at her. I'm furious. She had no right."

"Was it that she had no right to order him away or that she had no right to take him from you?"

"She had no right to take him from me, I—"

Alessia stopped herself mid-sentence as she realized what she just said. It was as if the clouds parted above her and the sun came shining, even though the sun was actually setting over the horizon, about to disappear for the rest of the night. For the days since Clarke told Bellamy to leave, she thought it was because Clarke used her position of quasi-power to send Bellamy into a death trap. But the truth of the matter is, she was angry because Bellamy wasn't with her. Because from the first day on the ground, he led them; granted, those methods were questionable and she didn't always agree, but he led them. He was by her side. Now, he's gone, and Clarke is in charge only because Lexa trusts her, because she killed Finn to save them. Clarke took Finn away, and then she took Bellamy away. It was as if everyone at Alessia's side slowly disappeared, and Clarke was the one taking them away.

"Shit," Alessia murmured under her breath as she realized what she didn't want to: she was being absolutely, undeniably, inconceivably _wrong. _

"Alessia!" Speak of the devil and she shall appear; Clarke rushed up to Alessia outside on the log, coming to a stop when she reached her. Alessia looked at Takeo, who nodded firmly and gripped the handle of his sword to take with him as he went to another location. Alessia stood up, taking a deep breath.

"Look, Clarke—"

"Bellamy radioed." Alessia watched as Clarke smiled, and she couldn't help but smile, too. "He's fine. Absolutely fine. Maya helped him in and he's going to disable the acid fog and assemble the army of Grounders in those cages. But he said that Jasper and the rest of them are locked in the dorms."

"Oh, my God. Dante did that?"

"I guess so."

Alessia scoffed. "Cage probably put him up to it. Whatever, he's okay, then? He's alive?"

Clarke smiled softly. "He's alive. The next time he radios in, you can talk to him. I knew he would be okay. I knew it. But, look, we have to act fast. Bellamy needs time to disable the fog, so we have to distract them with something else. I think I have an idea, come on."

"Okay. Wait." Clarke turned around from trying to leave at the will of Alessia's call, and when she turned, Alessia hesitated for a moment before looking up at Clarke with a sigh. "I'm glad he's okay, Clarke. I am. But I'm still mad."

Her friend paused reluctantly. But there was no apology. "I know."

"You can't promise that he's gonna stay alive. I can't promise that, either. I know that. But if he dies, Clarke..." Alessia paused and Clarke watched as she shrugged and opened her mouth to say the harsh words. "I won't...I _can't_ forgive you. That's a promise."

Clarke wished she knew what to say to that. But all she could say is all she knew. She nodded. "I understand."

The two of them, differences aside, walked side by side into the Ark to carry out their plans.

* * *

Clarke led the group of Grounders escorting Emerson, who had dressed back into his patched-up hazmat suit, outside into the cold night. Alessia stood by Clarke's side, a gun situated in her hand like it was made for her. She had to admit, she missed it.

Robin Hood may have preferred the bow and arrow, but she would rather have a gun.

"What are you doing?" Kane demanded as he and Abby both jolted up from their seats and blocked Clarke and Alessia's path. They tried to get past him, but Abby wouldn't allow it.

"Clarke, stop!"

"No." The blonde came head-to-head with her mother. "I'm letting the prisoner go."

"Absolutely not!"

Kane leaned forward, shaking his head. "He hasn't told us anything yet."

Clarke looked up at him. "He doesn't have to. He's gonna tell _them _something."

But the Chancellor wouldn't have it. Abby turned and looked at her Guards, who were waiting for instruction. She nodded to them. "Get the prisoner back to the airlock. Now."

"Yes, ma'am."

The Guards moved forward, but the Grounders all drew their weapons, causing the Guards to draw theirs. Alessia raised her gun and pulled it on her father, who stood across from her, straightening when he realized what it had come to. No one moved.

Clarke turned back to her mother. "You may be the Chancellor, but I'm in charge."

"Indra, tell your people to stand down before this gets out of hand." Abby hissed through her teeth, but the warrior shook her head firmly.

"No."

"People could get hurt," Abby reiterated to her daughter, who looked up sternly.

"Not if you get out of my way. You need to trust that _I _know what's right for us."

Kane stared at his daughter, his strong daughter who had proved him so wrong. He thought you couldn't find place for love in world like theirs. She did. He thought that being strong meant being silent. She was strong and loud. He thought that being independent was the end-all-be-all. She knew when to be independent and when to depend. She was the corrections of the mistakes he made; she was the better Kane. And as she stood before him with a gun pointed at his chest, he realized that she was no longer the daughter that rebelled for no reason, the daughter who wanted a different life. No, she was the daughter who had a purpose. She fought for what she believed in. No matter how unconventional, he raised her right; and no matter their past, he trusted her.

Marcus reached forward and placed a hand on Alessia's gun, lowering it down. She would never shoot it, no matter how much she wanted to, but it was still there. When the gun was lowered, Kane looked at Abby solemnly.

"The Grounders trust them. Maybe we should too."

It was an impasse. A few moments of silence, uncertainty of what would come out of Abby's mouth when she turned to the Guards. Eventually, she gave the order: "Stand down."

Abby stepped to the side and Clarke and Alessia walked forward. Clarke demanded the gate be opened, and when it was, they stopped just at the edge of it, Emerson right before the other side. Clarke smiled at him for a split second.

"Can you hear me alright? Because I need to make sure you get this."

Emerson frowned. "Loud and clear."

"I have a message for your leader. We're coming for him. You're watching us, but you haven't seen a thing. The Grounder army is bigger than you think. And even if you could find it, your acid fog can't hurt them. And now, thanks to you..." Clarke pulled out the high-tone frequency transmitter used to subdue the Grounders, holding it to his face as if it were a prize, "...neither can the Reapers. So you have one last chance. Let our people go and we'll let you live. It's just that simple."

The Mountain Man, less than pleased, replied bleakly, "I got it."

Clarke reached forward and grabbed the tank nozzle from Emerson's hazmat suit. She looked up at him curiously. "It's an eight hour walk back to Mount Weather?" She didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she pressed a button and watched as the longevity of the air inside the tank went from 8 hours to 6 hours in merely a few seconds with the release of oxygen from the top. She looked back up at the Mountain Man. "You're gonna do it in six."

"Six hours? That's not enough. How am I supposed to deliver your message?" Emerson challenged. Clarke shrugged.

"That's your problem. Now go." Emerson backed away as Clarke was left standing, watching him run off into the night, struggling to reach a pace that would get him back in time. When Clarke turned around, Octavia was standing behind her, a worried look on her face.

"Clarke? You wanna explain to me how this helps my brother?"

"I just told them we have a secret army to worry about. The more they're looking at us, the less they're looking at him." But Octavia seemed hardly convinced.

"Bellamy is the key to everything, Octavia."Clarke turned her head to look at Alessia, who was watching their conversation quietly. Clarke nodded to her reassuringly. "If he dies, we die."

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait on this chapter, y'all. I have about a million excuses because I've had about a million things to do in the last few months, but for short: tests, tests, tests, classes, tests, classes, tests. Tried to make it worth the wait, though, so I hope it was! Anyways, thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**RHatch89: **thank you! :)

**Pluv143000: **Yeah, the plagiarism thing kept going on for a while, but I think it should be resolved now. Hopefully it doesn't present itself again. Aw, thank you for defending that. I mean, I'll admit, I've written some Mary Sues in the past, but I genuinely do not believe Alessia's a Mary Sue, or at least I try everything to make sure she isn't. I hope it works, but to some, maybe they perceive it a different way. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**SUPAfast JeLLyFisH: **I feel the same way, actually. Calix is a really good person and I love him, although I'm stumped on what to do with him for Season 3, but I'll figure it out eventually. Zoe's a possibility for now, but I really think the only reason I had them get together was because Calix needs to explore his other options. But I think that there will be more to Calix than Zoe because yeah, cheating on someone is a pretty rough thing to come back from. So maybe they'll try something but it won't work out because of it, I'm not sure. I'm thinking things over. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**HALEBTRASH: **Yes, she will. I believe it will be in the chapter after the next when she finds out. Her reaction will be...very Alessia-like. But I think we've gotten to the point in time where she's realized that she more or less "loves" Bellamy so it'll be easier on her. But, still, Calix was a big part of her life and finding out something like that has got to hurt. Thanks for the review!

**paintedbywords: **I've started working on it. The first chapter is done, but I want to get ahead of myself so you all don't have to wait longer for them. Bellamy and Alessia are in it, as well as a lot of other characters. I'm not including Margot or Zoe, but I am including Calix! Thanks for the review.

**Iwannabelikeme**: I've started working on it! It will probably be out in the summer, and once it's out there will be timed updates because I'm planning to write the chapters beforehand so you all don't have to wait like normal. Kane is a special creature. He basically just doesn't know how to be a dad, so he ends up being a dictator of sorts and it sort of messes with Alessia. As for Calix and Alessia, yeah they will definitely be getting closure. They have been fighting a lot, and I think it's because they're in two different places now. Alessia has moved on and found a new purpose while he's sort of fallen back into an old routine, and it's causing rifts. Thanks for the review!

**Guest: **Soon, dear! Soon.

**keikei313: **Here's the update! She's not gonna go up against any Grounders any time soon, I don't think. But we're gonna see her problems with Lexa arise after the bombing at Tondc. Thanks for the review!

**Bee-Back**: Aw, thank you so much! Here's the update! Oh, trust me, if anything it'll be more "explosive" because it's AU and I get to play with the romantic side of things rather than just adding little tidbits into them surviving on the ground. Anyways, thanks for reading!

**nerdygirl811: **Absolutely love long reviews. Made my day :) Thank you so much. It's always nice to hear that I'm actually doing the things I'm supposed to do because otherwise I get paranoid that I'm basically screwing everything up. Hahaha, I've been informed of being "sadistic" to my readers by my best friend and the whole Calix/Alessia/Bellamy thing shows it pretty well because it's _so _unfortunate to find out that your best friend was your girlfriend's "dead" boyfriend that she never really got over and it made things 10000x more complicated than it needed to be. This comment is so sweet oh my, thank you so much!

**melanie: **Haha thank you! Here's the update!

**MistroStrings: **Thank you for informing me. This keeps happening but I think I resolved the issue. Thank you again :)

**natureprincess023: **Thanks so much for all your help!

**caymanislands: **Now! I told you I would get it done tonight :) Thanks so much for the review!

**YoungAndCrazyForever464: **Here's the update! Thank you!

**Sesflynn: **Aw, thank you! Here's the update, hope you enjoyed it!

**RosaSilvermist: **Here's the update! Hope you enjoyed it!

**GraceTM86: **Haha thank you! Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!

**Guest: **Thank you so much. Here's the update!


	25. Rubicon

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Rubicon**

"So...I don't think I understand," Takeo began wearily, out of breath as he and Alessia stood sparring in the training field in front of the Ark. Their fellow fighters attempted to concentrate on their own sparring, but Alessia and Takeo were taking the show. The young Kane dodged a punch at her and slithered her way to the other side of Takeo, who turned around sharply and continued. "You loved Calix and then he died?"

They circled each other as if they were sharks in a tank. Heads were turning while Alessia moved hers into a shrug-like gesture while clarifying, "Not...really. I thought he died." Abruptly, she swiftly kicked forward, but Takeo rolled over the maneuver to the side. She turned to face him. "Turns out, my dad was just being a jackass."

"So he's still alive?"

"Sure. Haven't you seen him around? Or is he still sulking...?"

Takeo dropped a punch, but she grabbed his wrist and instead twisted it over her shoulder and took a knee to his back, forcing him on the ground. Takeo winced and hissed, "What do you mean 'sulking'?"

Alessia sighed. "He's still a little mad at me for falling for Bellamy. That, and I haven't been that nice to him lately."

She was just about to reset their match when Takeo managed to wrap two fingers around her wrist and flipped the switch on them, falling backwards onto her and flipping over quickly to gain the advantage. As he moved to pin her hands, he asked, "Bellamy, the one who has infiltrated the Mountain Men?"

"That's the one."

"This is very complicated." Alessia chuckled as she could hear the confusion in his sigh. At the distraction, she broke free of one of his legs that had kept her on the ground and bent her knee to kick him in the thigh, lowering his defenses enough so she could flip him onto his back and stand up, getting away from the tricky situation that was begging for a stalemate.

"Complicated? No, I thought it was _fun_." She gave him a bitter smile while he brought himself up to the floor and Alessia held out her fists in front of her face. At this point in their match, almost all of the other Grounders and Guard members were looking at them for an example. A few hits were thrown before Takeo spoke, half-chuckle, half out of breath.

"So who did you choose?"

"Excuse me?"

"Who did you choose, Skaigada?" He grabbed her arm and whipped her around so that her back was to his chest and his arm was enclosed around her throat. Her fingers ached to keep his arm from smothering her airway and barely managed to choke out her confused reply.

"Choose? Why does there have to be a choice?" Finally managing the upper hand, she decided to give the other people watching them a real show. Bending her back, she smoothly flipped Takeo so hard onto the ground that he landed with a concerning thud, unable to continue their match. She was concerned for his safety, but she knew she didn't hurt him too bad. He would probably be sore in the morning, though. Everyone around them clapped for Skaigada before she extended a hand to him as a kind gesture, but he instead swept his foot back and caused her to fall to the floor on her ass. Alessia frowned. "Should've seen that coming."

"You should have. That was good, though." As the crowd began to disperse in order to continue themselves, Alessia lifted herself from the ground as Takeo went back onto their original topic. "There has to be a choice, Skaigada. Are you telling me that you haven't told either one of these poor boys who you love?"

Alessia rolled her eyes. "What, like it's physically impossible for me to love both of them? I didn't think I had to tattoo some guy's name on my ass to be in a relationship." She turned to look at Takeo seriously. "I can love more than one person at a time. I don't understand what's so strange about that."

He lifted himself onto his elbows with a scowl at her. "Haven't you considered that it may be a little selfish of you?"

"I know _that_. But isn't it selfish for me to have to 'choose' or whatever?"

"I think the term you're looking for is unfair, not selfish."

"Well I don't agree." She lifted herself up from the ground and wiped some of the dirt off her pants. Takeo followed suit, standing up to level with her. He crossed his arms and shrugged.

"Suit yourself, Skaigada. But you should consider telling them how you feel. You can't hold on to them forever."

"Thanks for the words, oh Wise One. I'll take it under consideration, then." Just as Takeo opened his mouth to say something to refute her snarky tone towards him, he was interrupted when Clarke came up behind Alessia and grabbed her arm softly.

"Hey, Alessia, can I talk to you?"

Alessia flinched away from her friend's touch slightly, but with a look thrown towards Takeo to say that she would come back, she went off with Clarke in another direction. Alesia looked at her and nodded.

"What's wrong? Shouldn't you be heading out to go to Tondc soon?" There was a bitterness that Clarke could detect in her voice, but she decided not to care. At that particular moment, whatever was going on between them in light of their differences didn't matter. There was one thing they still had in common that could keep them on track.

"I was, but I'm not going anymore." Alessia cocked an eyebrow worriedly. "I just talked to Bellamy. Something's happening to our people in Mount Weather. They're taking them somewhere, most likely to cages like the ones where we found Anya."

Alessia's eyes widened, and no longer was there a sassiness in her tone towards Clarke. "Shit. What are we going to do? What is Bellamy going to do?"

"I told him to find them. But we still need to focus on the acid fog..."

"One thing at a time, Clarke."

"I know." The blonde crossed her arms. "And like I said, I'm not going to Tondc anymore. I'm going to stay here to make sure that Bellamy finds them and I'm going to help him get them out."

Before she could say what she wanted to, Alessia nodded her head immediately and agreed. "Great. I'll help you. I actually haven't spoken to him since he radioed in, we keep missing each other—"

"No, Alessia. I don't need you here, I need you there." Clarke reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her from going in the direction of the Ark to meet Raven in the mechanics room where the radio was. The teenager turned back and waited, confused. "Look, I asked Kane to go...but even though I know Lexa trusts him, I need you to represent me. I know you don't agree with my methods, but I know that you want Bellamy out of that mountain more than anyone. And I know that you also agree with my alliance with the Grounders more than anyone..."

"Let's not push it." Alessia gritted her teeth. She understood what purpose it served Clarke, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She was indifferent with a step closer to the weary side, if anything.

Clarke sighed. "Lexa will protect you. I made sure of it." Seeing Alessia's eyes narrow, Clarke quickly added, "Not that you need...protection or anything, I'm just saying...she's got your back if you need it. You can take Takeo, too."

Alessia stood quietly for a moment, but Clarke could see the agreement on her face and smiled slightly before walking away. Kane frowned at her as she left and muttered under her breath, "Gee, how generous of you, Clarke, to _allow _me to take a friend."

With a hard shake of her head, desperate to rid the anger she felt towards Clarke, Alessia turned back to Takeo who was sharpening a few arrows on a log. She felt bad that she was turning against Clarke lately, but on the other hand, she felt as if she were being almost _too _forgiving. Clarke killed Finn. Clarke made a deal with the Grounders that could put them all in danger. Clarke sent Bellamy to Mount Weather. Clarke was making the decisions that she had once forced Alessia to make, and some of them she didn't agree with, but what did it matter? Clarke and Lexa share a bond that no one else could recreate, and because of that bond, Clarke became the spokeswoman for all Sky People. It was hardly _fair. _

"You up for a trip to Tondc?" Alessia asked as she approached Takeo, who looked up from his arrow-whittling to listen to her question. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Your friend Clarke was supposed to attend that."

"Change of plans. My father and I are going in her place, I guess. You coming?"

Takeo opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, he stopped as his eyes came across something that interested him. Alessia was about to turn and look at what he was staring at with a suspiciously triumphant smile, but before she could, Takeo quickly brought her attention back to him by rushing out quickly, "You know, Skaigada...I am not allowed to leave the camp without Indra's orders."

"Okay but—"

"Mercer!" Takeo shouted suddenly, and before Alessia realized what was happening, Takeo lifted himself from the bench and beckoned Calix to them. Alessia kept her back turned, an anger rising in her chest. _Son of a bitch. _

"Morning, Takeo." Calix smiled at him carefully before Alessia turned around, a forced smile on her lips. Calix stiffened and nodded to her. "Hey, Les."

He could hear her half-snarl out of her mouth, and she knew he had called her that on purpose. She reminded herself not to be angry, but it was starting to become very difficult to deal with. She didn't know how much longer she could take Calix's bitterness without exploding to him. Instead of directing her anger towards Calix, however, she decided to take it out on someone else, someone far more deserving.

"Takeo," Alessia said through her teeth. He smiled at her innocently. "You didn't tell me you _knew _Calix."

"Oh, I must've forgotten to mention." Takeo shrugged while she threw darts at his eyes. He turned to Calix. "Anyways, Skaigada has informed me that she must take Clarke's place at Tondc later today. She asked me to go with her, but I'm afraid I can't leave without getting permission from Indra, and I don't think that's possible right now. Maybe you would be willing to go with her, Mercer?"

Before Calix could answer, Alessia stepped in. "Takeo, it's fine. Kane's probably gonna grab one of his lapdogs anyway—"

"That lapdog would be me," Calix interrupted, forcing Alessia to turn his attention to her. He shrugged. "He just told me we were heading out a few minutes ago so...I'm going anyways." Calix nodded to her cautiously. "I'll meet you at the front gate in ten. Bye, Takeo."

"See you, Mercer." When he was gone, Takeo felt a sharp sting on his arm and looked back at Alessia, who had just finished taking a hand to his shoulder, most likely living a sharp red handprint to accompany the big purple bruise he would have on his tailbone from the fall earlier. Takeo hissed. "What was that for?"

"Meddling in my life! What was the point in you asking him to come with me? I thought I made the whole 'I'm not choosing' thing clear!"

Takeo crossed his arms. "You can say it for centuries, Skaigada, but that doesn't make it right. Going to Tondc with Calix is the best opportunity you'll get to speak to him about your situation."

"What situation?! I don't have a situation!"

"Have you decided whether you prefer to be with Bellamy or Calix?"

"I told you, I don't need to decide!" At this point, she was frustrated so badly that she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks which caused her skin to inevitably turn a tomato-like shade. She'd only ever turned that way when she was lying, when she realized that someone else was right and that she was wrong. It was annoying, but it happened. And the second it did, she relaxed and watched as Takeo's smile grew, along with his ego. "You know what, we're no longer friends."

He chuckled. "That's very unfair, Skaigada."

"Unfair my ass! No one cares, Takeo!" she shouted as she stormed off to grab her gun and meet her father and Calix at the gate. After two or three minutes had gone by, she was still frustrated, but having the gun in her hand was almost soothing to her. Her thoughts about Takeo managed to escape her mind for a good five minutes, but when she saw Calix and her father conversing at the gate with the riders that were to take them to Tondc, she suddenly felt very unsettled. Takeo was right, and she hated it. Damn morals.

"Alessia, what are you doing here?" Kane asked as she approached them, gun strapped on her shoulder ready to move out. Calix avoided her eyes and she let herself look at him only for a moment before clearing her throat and turning to her father.

"Clarke asked me to come, too. Said something about understanding her more than anyone else." Alessia shrugged. "I said I'd go."

Kane nodded. "I'm glad you are. It'll get you out for a while."

"Hmm. And away from the forbidden radio, right?" she threw sourly. Her father opened his mouth to reply, but she shook her head and moved on. "Come on. We better get moving if we want to make it there on time."

Without waiting for her father's approval, Alessia walked in between her father and her ex-boyfriend and moved into the forest, two Grounder Riders on either side of her, sent with them by Lexa to accompany whoever was attending Tondc's peace meeting. She knew Kane and Calix would follow her, but she figured the more space there was between them, the better things would be for everyone.

* * *

Bellamy had never really been claustrophobic. He wouldn't classify himself as one, but in one particular moment, he was. As the warrior inched through the small tunnel vents of Mount Weather, he could feel the signs. The tightness in his chest. The sweat on his brow. The squeeze in his breath. Regardless, he pushed the tiny feeling out of his mind and instead focused on the voices he could hear through the echoes of the vent, and a more important one that was in his ear.

_"Okay, so tell us where you're at now." _Raven demanded. Bellamy stopped himself at the vent, looking both left and right realizing there were two different options he could take.

"I'm at an intersection. Which way?"

Cautiously, he crawled forward and waited for Raven's response. Instead of Raven, however, it was Clarke who spoke to him.

_"Bellamy, we think you're close. The lab should be up ahead." _

But as he crawled on his hands and knees, he realized—there wasn't just two different routes that he could take. No, there were several, perhaps six or more passageways through the vents that led to different places. He swallowed thickly.

"Any chance you could be more specific?" Radio silence. They were just as confused as he was. As he could feel the sweat from his brow drip onto the vent underneath him, he heard something. A drill? Some sort of other power tool? Regardless, it was his best bet. He sighed. "Never mind. I got this."

Clarke and Raven could hear the whirring over the radio as Bellamy crawled through the air vents as silently as he could, getting closer and closer to whatever was making the whirring noise. He was sure that Clarke and Raven could hear it through the radio, so he didn't have to say anything. As he came up to a vent that opened his vision to the room inside, he realized he would have to keep his speaking to a minimum.

"Is that a drill?" Raven asked her blonde friend under her breath as they both listened to the noise Bellamy had stumbled upon. Clarke suddenly realized what it could be used for. Suddenly, she knew what was going on. Her voice was but a whisper.

"Bone marrow extraction."

Bellamy stared into the several slits that let him see into the room, and his eyes widened to the size of the moon. One of his friends, lying on a table with blood from his eyes, was subject to the powerful doctor who stuck a needle into his hip and extracted whatever it was that she needed.

The doctor turned on her heel and walked over to the other side of the room, but the acoustics were in their favor. Bellamy could hear every word she was saying, which meant that Clarke and Raven could as well.

_"You ready for the last treatment you'll ever need, lieutenant?" _

_"You have no idea. I've waited my whole life to breathe fresh air." _

Clarke frowned. "That's Emerson."

And then another voice spoke. _"Let's get back to this secret army that she claims to have. She tell you anything that might help us find it?" _Before anyone could answer, there was a drill that continued in the background, causing whoever had asked the question to become ten times more irritable than he already sounded. _"Stop drilling, please!" _

The doctor frowned at him. _"The window for extraction after death is incredibly short." _

_"I only need a minute." _

_"No, Sir. Nothing about the army,_" Emerson continued. _"She did say she was coming for you. And that if we let her people go, she'll let our people live." _

The other man scoffed. _"Well, it's a little late for that." _

_"I'm sorry I failed, Sir." _

_"No, it's okay. We'll finish the job tonight. Whitman just radioed in. Apparently there's a War Council meeting happening tonight in one of their villages and all their leaders are gonna be there." _

_"Sir, I feel good. Let me take a team out, support Whitman_—"

_"No...he has less chance of being spotted if he's alone." _

_"Sir, Whitman's good, but he can't take out that many targets alone." _

_"Which is why we're gonna use a missile. This time, we're not gonna miss." _

Bellamy didn't say a word. Once everyone had cleared out of the room and there was nothing else to get from being in the vents, Bellamy quickly turned back the way he came and made his way to the entrance of the vents. When he settled down on solid ground, he touched the earpiece in his ear and sighed nervously.

"Please tell me you heard all that."

_"We heard it," _Clarke said under her breath into the radio. At the station, Raven came up extremely close to Clarke, panic in her lungs.

"We have to warn them!"

"Did Kane take a radio?" Clarke asked, but Raven shook her head, still panicking.

"No. This is the only unjammed frequency. We have to keep it open for Bellamy."

Clarke reached forward and grabbed the radio and spoke into it for Bellamy to hear. "If I leave now, I can make it in time."

"In time to be blown up, you mean!"

"When I get back, I wanna know our friends are safe and the acid fog is down. Can you handle that?" Clarke commanded, as if her going into the ring of fire was a day trip. Raven stared at her for a moment, maybe a moment too long, but finally nodded.

"Yeah, we can handle it. Go."

"Clarke, wait!" Bellamy stopped her, pausing in his steps as he waited for their attention. "Octavia was in Tondc when I left. Is she, um...?"

Clarke didn't hesitate. _"She's here. She's safe." _

"Okay. Good." He waited for a moment, and then asked, "And Alessia? She's with you?"

Raven's eyes widened as Clarke shut her eyes tight and nodded. _"Yes. She's here too. She's fine." _

Clarke could feel her chest tighten with guilt as Bellamy let out a relieved sigh and nodded to himself. She heard him through the radio quietly. _"You be safe, too_."

"I will."

When she turned off the radio, Raven widened her eyes at Clarke and looked at her disappointedly. "Octavia and Alessia are both in Tondc for the meeting. Why did you lie?"

"Bellamy can't be distracted. It helps no one."

"Hey!" Raven called out as Clarke rushed to leave the station. Clarke turned around, partially irritated because she didn't have time to rationalize with Raven. But instead, Raven just pulled her into a quick hug, which had caught Clarke extremely by surprise, considering what had happened with Finn and its aftermath. When Raven pulled away, Clarke could see her eyes swell and Raven tried to fight it. "Don't get blown up."

Clarke said nothing, she just nodded. Two seconds later, she was gone, Raven turned back to the radio to finish what Clarke had started.

* * *

In spite of the fact that weapons were 'not allowed' in Tondc, Alessia felt anything but safe in the village. Weapons didn't matter when you had more than a hundred Grounders who could band together and turn against them. Fists were enough. She felt uneasy being in Tondc, probably because the last time she was there, Bellamy had been tortured because they believed that she had attempted to poison the Commander. This very detail was first addressed when Alessia, Kane, and Calix first approached the Commander at her post.

"Commander," Kane began respectfully, bowing his head. Calix did the same, and although Alessia did so, it was half-assed at best. When they all looked up, Lexa was staring at them with a frown situated on her lips.

"Where's Clarke?"

"She sends her apologies, she cannot make it." Alessia was surprised. She'd never seen her father so..._diplomatic _before. "We have been sent here in her place instead. I hope that's okay."

Lexa seemed to waver. Her eyes moved from Kane to Calix, and then settled upon Alessia, who looked extremely pissed off. Then again, wasn't that always her face. Lexa stiffened and walked two steps to her right to come face-to-face with the brunette-haired Kane.

"Alessia Kane," she welcomed. Alessia forced a begrudging smile. "I realize what happened to your protector here last time was out of line. I offer a sincere apology."

_Strange, _Alessia thought, but she could tell that her father was giving her an ice glare telling her to take the fucking apology and be as diplomatic as he was. She hated it, but she forced out of her mouth, "Apology accepted. No hard feelings."

"Clarke sent you?"

"Yes. My father, too." Alessia narrowed her eyes at the Commander. "Although she wanted me to remind you how important I am to her and our cause."

Lexa stared at Alessia with the same amount of power in her eyes. "I see. Well, I can assure you that you will be protected here." She turned out towards Calix and Kane. "You all will. Thank you for joining us. Although I would be lying if I said that I am not hoping Clarke would make an appearance. I feel it is in the best interest of your people for her to interact with the twelve clans."

Alessia scoffed. "Well, everything doesn't always work out the way we want it to."

Lexa turned back at her and cocked her head for a moment before nodding respectfully. "Indeed, it doesn't."

With the painful welcoming out of the way, Alessia was permitted to disperse from the crowd, although Kane had chosen to stay by the Commander's side. While she was around, she talked to Octavia for a little, to make sure that she was okay standing along Indra's side, who had accepted her as a "Second" ever since her stunt at camp. Lincoln still hadn't made contact, and Octavia was getting worried (even though she didn't explicitly say so).

A while later, she had caught up to her dad when she found that Clarke strolled into the village, an alarmed look on her face. Alessia was confused; she thought that Bellamy needed her on the radio more than they needed her at Tondc. Lexa was a little bitter once Clarke walked up to her.

"Clarke of the Sky People has _honored _us with her presence."

"I'm sorry I'm late, Commander," Clarke apologized. Kane interrupted.

"You made good time. I assume the kids at Mount Weather are okay?"

"For now." She nodded to him and then turned to Lexa urgently. "Can we talk in private?"

Lexa, realizing the distress on Clarke's face, nodded and turned her body to where they could speak. "Yes. This way."

"Clarke." Alessia stopped her friend as she moved with Lexa, and Clarke looked up at her with blank eyes. She knotted her eyebrows. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Clarke opened her mouth to say something, but she realized she couldn't. She looked around at all the people around them and realized that if she said something it would cause a panic. And she had to talk to Lexa first. Alessia waited, but Clarke eventually shook her head.

"Yeah, everything's fine." With that said, she was released and walked off in the direction that Lexa had gone and left Alessia concerned, but at ease. Clarke raised a sigh deep in her chest, knowing that she should've said something. But instead, she walked on.

* * *

Clarke and Lexa were gone for such a long time that Alessia decided not to wait. The politics of Tondc began to bother her, so she decided to instead go on patrol outside the perimeter. It was frowned upon by her father, but she couldn't give two shits less about what he thought. As she weaved in and out cautiously though the forest to make sure that the village below was safe, she had an odd feeling that she was not alone. Yet, every time she turned, she saw no one—not in the trees, not on ground, not in the bushes. But the feeling grew stronger with every passing second until, in a last-ditch effort, she disappeared behind a tree and waited for her target (if there was one) to show itself. Suddenly, she saw someone come up from behind her, looking lost and confused. The gun in her hand immediately moved into position, pointing at the intruder's back.

"Drop your weapon," she warned, but whoever had been following her did not. Instead, he turned around quickly, angering Alessia, but right as her finger ached to squeeze the trigger, through the darkness of the night, she saw that it was Calix. Alessia scowled and set her gun down. "Calix, what the fuck are you doing following me? I could've killed you."

"Well that would've been nice for you, I'm sure." He commented snidely before crossing his arms. "Look, Kane told me to come out here with you."

She looked at him, annoyed. "And that translates to you creepily following me? For the record, I don't need protection." Alessia waved the gun as if it were a reminder of her awesomeness. "Perfect shot."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Les."

Alessia shuddered, and she could see it made him extremely happy. "Damn it, Calix! Don't call me that!"

"Call you what, Les?"

"You're being annoying. You know I _hate _annoying people."

"And that would be any different than the way you normally feel about me how...?"

"Oh, come on. I don't hate you. You know that." She scoffed and rolled her eyes as if it were obvious. Calix cocked an eyebrow at her, and when she realized that he didn't agree, she suddenly turned serious. "Oh...no. You think I _hate _you? How could you think that?"

Though the darkness masked it, she could see that Calix shifted. Maybe out of relief, maybe out of frustration. "Alessia—"

"I don't hate you." She rushed it quickly, as though if she didn't say it fast enough it would become a lie. "I don't. If anything, it seems like you hate me."

"Alessia..."

"And I can understand why." At this point, she wasn't even paying attention to him. She had put her gun back over her shoulder and was now basically talking to herself with a frustrated, tired tone. It was as if her thoughts turned into words without a filter. "I've ben really terrible to you lately. And I don't really know why. I think it's because there's just..._so _much going on, with Clarke and Bellamy and my _dad _and then I—"

Calix reached forward and clasped a hand on Alessia's mouth, preventing her from talking any longer. She stared up at him, and he could see the annoyance in her eyes. Calix frowned. "I'm sorry, but I just had to. It's the only way to get you to stop talking."

She smacked his hand away, but he had practically already pulled it from her mouth. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't talk _that _much." She paused. "Oh, shit. Yeah, I can see how that was annoying. I was starting to sound like Margot."

He looked at her, confused. "Who?"

"No one." Alessia waved her hand. "An old friend. I'm sorry, I just...I don't know what to say to you anymore. Things have just gotten so out of hand."

"I agree." They both stared at each other for a long while. It was as if this was the first time, in the dim moonlight, that they were actually _looking_. So much had happened since Calix had made his way back, since she had found out that he was alive. First, there was the problem of finding her. Then, there was her guilt for turning away Bellamy. And after that, Calix's jealousy. And then Finn's death. The list could go on and on with reasons for the thousand and one ways that Alessia and Calix had grown apart. But it was as if, strangely, in that one moment that the pieces had all come back together and it dawned on her: this was the man that she had loved for a year. A man that she had fought for, a man that she would die with. She loved him, she did. Takeo could say what he wanted, but she loved him, even if there was a small 'too' at the end.

Then it got complicated.

They hadn't realized how close they were to it happening until it actually happened. Calix lowered his head and Alessia raised hers and they kissed. It was different from their kiss in the tent, which was more like a kiss that tried to make up for lost time. This was on a completely different realm, a kiss that was meant to heal. Whether it did so or not was up to them, but it was a starting point. Alessia found herself completely distracted by the familiarity of the embrace that she couldn't bear it to pull away. Rather, it was Calix who broke their lip-lock because of the guilty conscience that was eating away at his head.

"I slept with Zoe."

At first, his head leaned against hers, but once the words were out and Alessia had a chance to process them, she pulled away farther, as did he. His heart broke when he saw her face. Rather than getting angry with him, he could see the hurt in her eyes. It was unfair of her, selfish even. He hated it. He couldn't stand it. After watching her with Bellamy, she expected him to be faithful? But even though a hatred burned in his stomach, he realized that this wasn't about Bellamy or Zoe. This wasn't about him sleeping with her at all—

_BOOM._

* * *

She didn't know how long it had been before she woke. Alessia's hands grasped at the soil beneath her fingers as she slowly lifted herself up from the blowback of whatever it was that had just struck them. Her ears were aching, a high-pitched shrill blaring in her ears with distant sounds of cries. Her eyes, crusted with dirt, adjusted to the sight of the village, Tondc, lying just below her that was aflame, lit with smoke. She coughed from the dirtied air that managed to make its way to her and scrambled onto her knees, attempting to piece whatever she had together. Mount Weather, she assumed, was responsible. Cage. Dante. The catastrophe spelled their names.

And then another name came across her mind. _Calix. _

She spun around on her knees, searching through the darkness with strained, already hurt eyes to find him. She knew she was injured, but not badly. There was a cut on her head that she could feel was stinging from the wind that carried the smoke to her lungs. In the cloud of dust, she searched for an outline of his body. A few seconds later, she found it.

"Calix," she breathed, but her own voice sounded like she'd been speaking with ear muffs on. Despite the wood chips that dug into her hands, no doubt causing them to scrape her flesh, she trudged through the dirt and found him as he started to stir, coughing from the dust in the air. He was alive. She let out a relieved sigh. "You're okay. You're okay."

"Alessia..." he choked with difficulty inhaling. She shook her head at him and watched as his eyes connected with hers and then slowly led her to the real problem.

The first half of his body was visible, unscathed other than a few minor elbow scratches. Then, at his waist, though it bled in with the darkness, she could see the outline of lumber. And then beside her, she saw the rugged edges of a tree stump. Alessia's breath caught.

"No..."

"I can't feel my legs. I can't..."

The tree that had fallen landed just below his hips, cutting off circulation to the lower part of his body. Alessia looked around, but there was no one. No one to help her lift the tree, no one to help her try to get him out. Every available person fled to the destruction zone, to deal with the wailings that were echoing through the night.

She had no one. And she didn't know what to do.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**RHatch89: **Thank you :)

**Pluv143000: **Thanks! It's alright. Season 3 is going to be one hell of a ride, I'm so excited for it. I'm trying to push through the rest of this season ASAP so that I can get to it because it's gonna be awesome!

**Tiffany Blake: **Thank you! Here's the update :)

**Audrie-13: **I'm glad you enjoyed it! Here's the update!

**caymanislands: **Thank you! Here's the update! Yes, I've been planning Season 3 and I think...well, I think a lot of people are gonna be mad at first but I think it's going to be interesting. We're gonna see Alessia and Bellamy in a whole different way and it's gonna be fun. Thanks for the review!

**mgaleaz8: **Aw, thanks! I'm glad you enjoy the story!

**nerdygirly811: **Thank you! You know, I was honestly a little weird about creating a Grounder character because I feel like I don't really know how a Grounder works so it's awkward, but I'm so glad that it's working out. I definitely see a Spacewalker-Robin Hood thing going on, I just have to find a nickname for her to call him :P I realized about halfway through this season that I wanted Clarke and Alessia to have some real issues this time around, just because with everything changing (to Clarke taking more of an active role in the decisions), Alessia had to have some sort of opinion on it. The fact that this bombing has happened and Clarke didn't warn Alessia about it when she explicitly asked will put a definite rift in their relationship, despite everything with Bellamy. The Kanes are just cute in general :) Bellamy and Alessia will have their time, but I've decided to keep them at arms length for a while until Alessia can get her life together first. Anyways, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Guest: **Thank you! Haha, my friend always says that too. I'm so glad that everyone's enjoying her addition to the storyline. Thank you so much and here's the update! Hope you enjoyed it!

**xXEndlessImaginationXx: **Thanks! :)

**diakappers: **Thank you. If you know me at all, you know that the one thing I worry about when I write my stories is that the main character will be completely unrealistic both as a character and with his/her pairing and it'll just be a trainwreck lol so thank you for that. Haha thanks for reviewing!


	26. Resurrection

**AP Exams coming up extremely soon. Lots of studying, lots of crying to do. This will be my last update for a while (not only for this story, but for all the others) so I tried to make it worth it :) **

**Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. Also, not a perfect human being and I want to be a lawyer after college so this medical stuff that's in here could be completely wrong and I wouldn't know but I did some extensive research and it should be correct...still, not a hundred percent sure so bear with me. **

* * *

**Resurrection**

**Two Years Ago**

_Alessia sat in the waiting room (rather, a room with chairs and a desk for the principal's assistant), her leg shaking nervously as she thought about what her father would say. Something along the lines of "I'm so disappointed in you, Alessia" or "You know what, Alessia, I'm done giving you second chances" or simply "You're grounded...for the rest of your life" or maybe, even, he would say nothing and just walk out. Nevertheless, she didn't have any more time to dwell before someone opened Principal Sanderson's office and her father stepped out, turning just long enough to shake hands with Sanderson, or whom she liked to call "the Snake". Even when she didn't do anything wrong, the Snake was always on her ass, no doubt because her father put him up to it. _

_Of course, this time she did do something wrong. But that was none of their business. _

_The Snake gave her a look with his beady eyes before retreating back into his office, whereupon her gaze finally shifted to her father, who stared at her with disappointment, anger, and anything else she could imagine. She sighed. _

_"Dad_—"

_"Do you actively try to embarrass me, Alessia?" _

_She frowned at him pointedly. "Yeah, Dad. It's a favored hobby of mine." He scowled at her, unimpressed with the sarcasm, but she just threw up her hands and scoffed. "Come on! It was barely an infraction! Some punk freshman was harassing me during lunch, so I slugged the kid. What's so bad about that?" _

_Kane crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "What's so bad about it was that it was Sanderson's son! Are you that desperate to get back at me that you would go after the principal's son?" _

_Alessia abruptly stood onto her feet to face her father square in the eyes. "I told you dad, he was harassing me. It's nice to know that you care more about your reputation than you do the safety of your own daughter!" _

_Kane stood there for a moment, completely taken back by her rough words, but before he could say anything, someone cleared their throat a few feet away from them. Alessia and Kane both turned to see one of Kane's guards standing with an awkward look on his face, realizing that he had interrupted._

_"Mercer, what is it?" Kane barked. Calix stiffened. _

_"S-Sorry, Sir. It's just...they need you down in Farm Station ASAP." _

_Kane nodded, but just before he turned to leave, he looked back at his daughter and pointed a stern finger at her. "We're not done talking about this. You've been suspended for three days, so go straight home and start catching up on your work. I'll try to make it home early." _

_She watched as he walked out, but scoffed to herself. Like he would actually make good on the promise. As Kane left the room, the guard who had come to fetch him stayed for a moment longer, his eyes fixated on Alessia. When she had realized he was staring, her eyes snapped up to hm angrily. _

_"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she barked. The guard flinched at her abrupt cruelty, and she had realized that perhaps she had been just a bit too abrasive. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair before beginning softly. "I...haven't seen you before. What's your name?" _

_"Calix," he replied, straightening as if he were just told an order. "I'm Kane's new trainee." _

_"Good for you, Calix. Word to the wise..." She grabbed her bag from the chair next to her and began to move towards the exit as she looked at him sincerely and nodded, "Quit while you still can. It's not worth it." _

_Calix took her words to heart and watched while she left the room, stomping both gracefully and angrily. She didn't know what made her do it, but she found herself looking over her shoulder, almost pleased when she saw that he had been staring after her as well. When she turned back, something strange came over her lips. A smile. _

* * *

"No!" Alessia shouted as she dug her fingernails into the wood of the fallen tree and struggled to lift it off the ground. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. "No! No, this can not be happening! Goddamn it, please!"

"Alessia..." Calix trailed off, but it was no use. She stopped trying to lift the tree and instead scrambled to her feet, slipping in the haste. Alessia slid over the dirt to the edge of the forest that overlooked the village and cried as loud as she could.

"Help! Help, someone! Please help!"

But that was no use, either. Tondc was showered in wails, screams of the near-dying villagers that begged to be saved. No one could hear her, or even if they could they would hardly know where she was. Alessia's only choice was to go down into the fiery pit and find someone herself. She wiped a tear that had fallen out of her eye involuntarily and reached down to grab the gun at her feet.

"I'm gonna go find help," Alessia determined through a short breath. Her eyes were wild and crazed with blood, the realization that Mount Weather had been responsible for this finally dawning on her. But before she could leave, she felt Calix wrap a hand around her ankle to prevent her from leaving.

"Alessia," he whispered softly. She looked down at him and, though it was dark, she could see his green eyes begging her to stay. "Don't leave me. Please."

Her lip trembled and her eyes swelled with tears. Carefully, she lowered her knees to the ground and set the gun to the side, taking Calix's hand off her ankle and instead placing it in hers. His hand was so cold, but she didn't know if that was because hers was warm with rage. He closed his eyes, and she could see a tear fall down his face as his will to fight started to drift away. He sighed, and she sniffed back her feelings and attempted to keep him distracted.

"You slept with Zoe," she began, a scratch in her throat. "Why? Do you still love her?"

"Of course not." He almost sounded offended. "When I told you I didn't have feelings for her anymore, I meant it. But it's been so...hard, with everything happening between us. I needed...I needed a distraction. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. It was unfair."

Her lips twitched, but not angrily. Instead, it was out of sadness. "I forgive you, Calix. And I haven't been fair, myself. I understand why you needed her."

It killed her to say the words, out of the most selfish part of her soul she hated to say them. She didn't understand. She didn't want him with her. But she was starting to realize that this was the way Calix felt about her and Bellamy, and she was starting to realize what her indecisiveness was causing him. It was painful to have to deal with something like this. She didn't blame him for seeking aid in another woman.

She could feel his grip on her hand tighten. "I love you, Alessia. I never stopped."

Alessia choked back the tears in her eyes and the tightness in her throat. But as she started to say something, a goodbye of some sort, there was a sudden _whoosh _so close to her that she flinched. When she looked down, she realized that whatever it was had grazed her arm, leaving a painful scrape along the edge of her left bicep. A bullet graze.

And then came another. She ducked, falling on top of Calix to shield him from the bullets that were flying in the air in their direction.

"Son of a bitch!" she screamed as the bullets landed closer and closer to her. Calix grabbed her neck and pulled her up slightly so that she could look in his eyes. They were wild and crazy, just like her own.

"Alessia, get out of here," he demanded. She hesitated, confused. "Run! Now! There's a spotter in the woods and he'll keep firing until you're dead!"

"But—" she began, but he didn't seem up to it. She stopped herself and looked between Calix and the flying bullets that inched dangerously close to his head. If she left, he would no doubt be eliminated due to those bullets. Even if he could evade them, he would still die if neglected treatment—that was for sure. She was about ready to let him go, about ready to save herself, when she realized something.

"Alessia, go!" Calix snapped at her. She shook her head and suddenly lifted herself off of Calix's chest and moved towards his hips.

"Like hell." He watched as she began to dig, her fingernails scraping at the surface of the dirt right beneath his thighs. She wiped away a bit of sweat that was beginning to form on her head. "I am _not _leaving you here. You are _not _dying on me today!"

The bullets still came at them, but they only made her dig harder. She could feel the blood start to spill from her fingertips as her nails were ripped off and all that was left on top of them was the dirt that she pulled from the ground, creating a ditch that she could use to slid Calix out from under the tree. She dug so hard that she started to cry heavily, but it didn't stop her. Calix tried to get her to go continuously, but she ignored him and barked at him to keep his head down. At last, about fifteen minutes later, she had gotten enough dirt out to slide him underneath the fallen tree that did not sink into the ground any more than it already had.

"Come on!" she demanded as she crawled over to Calix's head and grabbed his hands, pulling them above his face as she used all the strength within her to pull. Calix cried out in pain, but she didn't care. She could feel his legs dip underneath into the ditch, and when she pushed his body out of the ditch further, staying clear of the bullets that kept flying at her, he was finally safe. Rather, safe from the clutches of a fallen tree, that was.

She could see the bloodstains on his pants, right where the tree had fallen on him and crushed his legs. She couldn't worry about that now, all she had to do was get them out of there.

"Can you walk?" she barked. He shook his head.

"I-I'm not sure."

"Fine. Then drag." She lifted his arm onto her shoulders and pulled him up with her. Sure enough, his legs were limp enough that he had to drag his feet on the ground wherever they were going, wincing in pain the entire time. She hated to see him like that, but the more the bullets flew past them, the more she needed to get them out of there and behind somewhere safe. She managed to drag them at least fifty yards away from there the spotter had spotted them, and pulled Calix behind a bush and a thick tree that she was sure would hold up for a little while. Alessia breathed heavily, wiping her forehead with her dirt-covered, blood-soaked hands.

"You're okay," she whispered to herself, but that was far from the truth. She looked down at his wounds and saw the blood that poured from him and the paleness that was now his face. Alessia took a deep breath. _He's not okay_.

* * *

_She did this,_ Abigail Griffin thought to herself as she desperately searched the ruins of Tondc, attempting to find whoever it was that was making the noise down in the wreckage to signal his survival. _My daughter did this. My daughter is responsible for this. What has she done? _

As the words haunted her mind, she continued mercilessly through the wreckage, passing over dead bodies that had been blood on _Clarke's _hands. Clarke. Her daughter, who had been so innocent once. Who had seen the good in others, who tried to change people for the better. She did this. How could her sweet, innocent daughter cause all this bloodshed?

She could hear the metal clanking again, the signal that the person who was alive kept sounding over and over again to lead her closer. She followed the noise, desperate to find whoever it was that needed her help.

"Hold on!" Abby shouted. "I'm coming!"

_I have to do this. I have to save them. This is my fault. _Clarke was her daughter, Clarke was her responsibility. And Clarke did this.

Abby's light shined on, searching relentlessly for the survivor. And at last, her light came upon a debris-covered hand that reached out lifelessly and pulled on a lever that made a clanking noise when released. When the light was on his face, she could see him clearly.

"Marcus?" Abby breathed slowly, and although she felt relieved that she had found him, and that he was alive, she couldn't help but realize that he was in danger. The debris had fallen on top of him, trapping him underneath the wreckage unable to pull himself out. Quickly, Abby rushed over to him. "Marcus, it's okay! I'm here." But he still had his hand on the lever, as if it were a reflex. She could tell that he was barely alive, holding onto whatever last strength he had left. She reached forward and grabbed his hand from the lever and looked down at him with tears in her eyes. _Clarke did this. I did this. _"It's okay."

"Abby?" He stared at her, his eyes wide open but not seeing. "It's my leg."

After a breath, she turned to his injury and began to assess. She could hear the creaking of the wreckage above them and felt extremely weary of their situation. At any given moment, everything around them could collapse and they would be just as dead as the hands that had fallen out from under all the debris around them. Every second that passed by was a miracle.

But she tried not to focus on that. She shined her light on his injury and assessed it quickly.

"You're bleeding, but not bad." She watched him wince at the pain. "Can you move your toes?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I don't think anything is broken. You're lucky." Abby stared at him for a while, seeing the pain on his face. Her heart pulled at her chest as she realized the consequences of what her daughter had done. If Marcus died, he would leave behind Alessia. She would never be able to forgive that. In an attempt to make him feel better, she added heatedly, "I'm gonna get you out of here."

But there was one small problem. The leg he complained about, the one that had been injured by the wreckage, was trapped underneath a solid metal beam that was too heavy for her to move. She tried, but no one was that strong. She couldn't lift it off him, no matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she screamed. At last, Kane sighed.

"Not that lucky."

Before Abby could say anything, the both of them listened as there was a sound of a woman sobbing in the distance, not too far from them. Another survivor. Kane's breath hitched.

"That could be Clarke..." he trailed off.

Abby's jaw tightened. "I'm _not _leaving you here."

She turned back to the beam and, although she could see the lack of hope on Kane's face, Abby screamed out as she tried yet again to lift the heavy beam off Kane's injured leg. When she realized that her strength wasn't enough to pull the beam off of Kane's leg, she searched around the debris to find something to act as a mediator. She found a metal rod that she stuck just under the surface of the beam and, with every ounce of strength within her, pushed the rod up and away from her face. The beam, to her delight, began to raise off of Kane's leg, and all she needed for him to do was slide out from underneath it. But it was right when the weight of the beam was completely off of Kane's leg when she saw it: the blood that spewed out from his wound. Abby's eyes widened.

"Don't move! Don't move!" With no other choice, she had to drop the beam back down on his leg. Kane screamed out in pain, gritting his teeth so hard he was afraid they'd crack. Abby turned to look at him with wide eyes.

"Your femoral artery is lacerated. The weight of the beam is the only thing keeping you alive."

Kane, still breathing heavily from the pain, scoffed to himself. "Heh. Hell of a bandage."

Abby ignored his sly comment and turned back to the injury. "I'll figure it out."

"Abby..." Kane looked over at her while she desperately looked around for something that could help her keep the pressure on Kane's leg so that they could lift the beam off of him. But he brought her attention back to him with his hand on her shoulder and swallowed thickly. "Just...go find your daughter."

"If I can get a tourniquet around your leg, it buys us more time."

"Go find Clarke."

"She's not here!" Abby whispered at him through her teeth. Kane set his head back on a pile of debris and looked at her, confused. He could see the distress in her eyes. "She's...fine. Lexa, too."

Kane was entirely at a loss, but before he could ask her what she meant, they heard a loud creak, and then it happened. Piles of debris that had been held up by the weight of flimsy concrete had collapsed, and Abby went down with it. Both Abby and Kane screamed aloud as the debris toppled over them, burying them beneath the wreckage.

* * *

Her hands quickly ripped at her shoulders, tearing off the fabric of her long-sleeved shirt to make two rope-like strands of fabric that she could use as a tourniquet. Near her, she found a stick and put it by her side until she needed it. Calix's eyes widened, although he was hardly in a place to judge based on the fact that he was as pale as a ghost.

"Les, what are you doing?"

"Dr. Griffin taught me once. I think I can do it. I have to try."

She leaned forward and wrapped one of the handmade tourniquets she scrounged up close to his wound, using the stick beside her to tie and tie overhand knots until there was nothing left to tie. Quickly jumping over his body, she did the same on the other side, scrounging around for another stick she could find. The bleeding slowed, but she knew that tourniquets were only a temporary solution. If she didn't find a more permanent one soon, they would have to amputate his legs. Calix would never be able to handle it.

"Shit...I think..." She turned to him suddenly with wide eyes. "Tell me you have feeling back in your lower legs. Tell me, Calix!" Alessia shouted. He placed a hand on her arm.

"Relax, Alessia. I can feel them. I can move my toes, too. I promise."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Good."

Silence washed over them for quite a long time, all the while Alessia finally relaxing against the tree she had pulled up against while Calix stared at her distressed face and shook his head. "Being down here changed you, didn't it? I've never seen you fight for something that much before."

She opened her eyes slowly and stared down at him. "I would never let you die, Calix."

"I know that. I wasn't saying—"

"I love you," she said quickly, even sternly. He stopped and listened to her as she roughly barked, "No matter what has happened, that never changed. No matter what I feel for Bellamy, I never _once _stopped caring about you. Don't you dare think otherwise."

He stared at her as she leaned her head back against the tree and took a deep breath, attempting to collect herself.

* * *

_Three days of hell. She would have to spend three days locked up in her home as if she were a caged animal. Kane made it clear she was not to go anywhere or do anything except the classwork that her teachers had given him to have her do while she was suspended. Again, three days of pure, uninterrupted hell. _

_And to make it worse, Kane got her a babysitter. _

_"Mercer will be here from the time I leave for work until the time I get home, whenever that is," Kane informed Alessia as he slipped on his uniform for the day. Calix stood off in the living room with his hands respectfully crossed behind his back while he watched the family altercation before him. Alessia threw a darted glare towards the sandy-haired lapdog of her father's, her arms crossed defensively over her chest while her father roamed around, getting ready for work while demanding things from her. "No one comes in, no one goes out. Get your work done, Alessia. I mean it." _

_"Whatever." She scowled at him and turned on her heel, walking back to her room. Kane stopped at the kitchen, nearly flinching when he heard the door slam behind her. After a deep breath, he looked over at Calix. _

_"Good luck," Kane murmured under her breath. "You do this and you get to lead patrol for a week. Make sure she stays in line."_

_"Yes, Sir." Calix nodded respectfully as Kane neared the door, grabbing his jacket. On his way out, he turned and looked at Calix with a slow nod._

_"You know, Mercer..." Calix turned to look at him. "You'll make a fine guard one day."  
_

_Calix smiled, barely visible for Kane to see but it was there. Kane nodded towards him one more and then walked out, leaving Calix alone with the demon he called Kane's daughter. She was beautiful, but she was even more dangerous than Kane himself. That was enough to earn her 'demon' status. _

_"You're still here?" Alessia asked him as she finally walked out of her room around an hour or so later to get a glass of water. Calix was sitting down at the center island, unmoving. He gave her a nod. _

_"I'm here on Kane's orders." _

_She scoffed. "Doesn't it bother you? Taking orders from the World's Greatest Jackass?" _

_Calix looked up, slightly offended. "Your father is one of the greatest Commanding Officers of all time, Alessia." _

_"He's also the worst fathers of all time,_ _Calix_." _She snarled his name, as if it were an insult just for her to say it. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You don't know what it was like to grow up with him. Imagine your childhood. Now erase it from your memory, and that's only remotely what it feels like. I never got the chance to grow up because I was never allowed to be a kid." _

_He sighed. "I'm sure he comes from a good place." _

_She frowned at him and sullenly moved to her room. "I doubt hell can be classified as a 'good place', but you get points for trying." _

* * *

Light dawned on them quicker than she had expected. She wanted to move toward the village, but she realized that with the spotter out there, it would be easier for him to see them and they would never make it. She was trapped, and there was nothing else to do but wait. She hated waiting. She wanted to go find help before it was too late, but she couldn't.

"I should have let you go," Calix whispered under his breath as he closed his eyes. Alessia looked over at him with knotted eyebrows, confused.

"Excuse me?"

"Kane told me that if I loved you, I should let you go." She watched him as he opened his eyes gently and looked up at the clouds, as if they were entertaining him. Again, he repeated, "I should have let you go."

Alessia was quiet as she listened to the words out of his mouth, but when he was done, she realized the gravity of what he said, and it pissed her off. She got onto her knees and moved over to his side, and when he turned to look at her, he was surprised that she looked so angry. And then, before he could stop it, her hand came out and slapped him across the face—lightly—but it still stung.

"What the hell was that for?!" Calix demanded, snapping out of his daze to look up at her. She frowned at him.

"We're not in a Jane Austen novel, dumbass. Love isn't something you...fold neatly and shove into a drawer someplace, it's pain and it's hard and it _sucks. _But it's worth it. Kane told you to let me go because he was an overprotective dick who wanted to control every aspect of my life, but he learned from his mistakes and, you know, it's unsettling that you haven't."

Calix frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that when I told you I slept with Bellamy, all you did was ask me if I loved him." She stared at him blankly and Calix tried to understand what she was saying. "And then a few days later, you show up at the drop ship and start beating the shit out of him because of it, but why? As much as you might have resented the fact that I didn't stay completely faithful to my _dead _boyfriend at the time, you confronted him because you needed someone to defend. Because you always need someone to look out for, someone to rescue. I'm not the goddamn Princess of this story. I don't want to be."

He was silent for a moment as he realized the truth behind what she was saying. "Les—"

"I can love two people at the same time, Calix," she told him sternly. He looked up at her and watched as she scoffed. "That doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it _fair. _But it's the truth. And I know what that makes me, okay? I know that makes me the whore who's dragging two guys along in the mud with her. I understand that completely. But imagine the predicament I'm in when I finally find someone that I care about again only to find that the one I lost was never lost at all, but pretending to be dead because my dumbass father told him to stay away!"

"I was doing the right thing by you," he argued.

"No one asked you to." Under normal circumstances, maybe she would've yelled it, but this time, she said the words calmly and with as much compassion as she could muster. Calix sighed as she looked up at the trees and inhaled heavily. "You've always had to do the right thing, Calix, and that's what I loved about you once. But when push came to shove, you gave up on us. I don't know if I can ever get past that. I will always love you, but what kind of a relationship can we have if I can't trust you not to fight for us when it matters?"

He hesitated. "How can you say that I never fought for us? All I've done since I've gotten down here is fight for _us_."

"There wouldn't have to be a fight if you didn't forfeit the first time!"

"Would things have changed if I had?" Calix asked suddenly, a small flare in his eye. "Would you have been able to prevent yourself from falling in love with my best friend?"

"I can't know that."

"We're playing in hypotheticals here, Les. You told me that if I hadn't given up when Kane told me to, we would still be together. You still would've come down here anyways. Bellamy would've still been on that drop ship. Would things be different if you _did_ know that I was alive and that I still loved you?"

It was a valid question. She knew it, he knew it. She just didn't know how to answer it. But she realized quickly that she didn't have much of a choice.

"I would've tried a hell lot harder to stop it," she admitted.

Calix's expression shifted as he realized what she was saying. Alessia leaned back against the tree. They were completely at a loss. Two, three minutes went by of pure, uninterrupted silence before Calix turned his head away from her and squared his jaw.

"Then I guess that's it, then."

She scoffed. "It's not that simple—"

"Why not?" He snapped his head back to look over in her direction, and she stiffened at the hardness in his eyes. "You keep overcomplicating this, Alessia. It's not complicated. You say you love me, but that's not true. You're in love with a memory, not me. You're in love with what we had and you keep trying to hold onto it like that's going to fix everything. But you said it yourself, I gave up on us, and you don't know if you'll be able to get past it."

Alessia frowned. "If I tried, I could."

"Do you want to try, then?" he asked suddenly, and she realized how quickly this conversation turned south. His eyes were laser-focused on hers as he prompted her again, "There's a difference between being _able_ to try and _wanting_ to try. Tell me, Alessia. Do you even want to try?"

She stared down at him, but here mouth didn't move one inch. It was set into a hard, thin line as she looked down at the man that she used to love and tried to figure out where it had gone so horribly, horribly wrong.

* * *

Abby stirred after a while, finding it extremely difficult to breathe. She was trapped under something, something heavy. She grunted to try and get out from underneath it, but the entire left side of her body was incapacitated. When she realized it was no use, she breathed softly and looked around.

"Marcus?" she asked into the darkness, desperate to find him again. She could still feel the flashlight that had been in her hand before the collapse, and so she brushed over the on button with her finger and the stream of light glowed to life so that she could search for Kane in the darkness. She found him, unconscious and covered in dirt.

"Marcus! Marcus, wake up!" He stirred, which was a good sign. "Open your eyes. You have to wake up, Marcus, open your eyes!"

He didn't open his eyes, but he rolled his head and whispered, "Oh, I'm so cold."

Abby's heart squeezed at his soft tone. "I'm right here. I'm right here."

He could sense the worry in her voice. "I'm okay."

"I'm sorry, Marcus. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Abby."

"It is my fault. She's my daughter."

Kane's head turned, and he saw Abby's guilt-ridden face in the darkness. He didn't know what she meant, but he knew that it was serious. Did Clarke have something to do with the bombing?

"What are you talking about?" he inquired. Abby tried to hold back the tears, but she couldn't. Her eyes locked on Kane's, and she chose to tell him the truth. Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

"She knew."

"Clarke escaped? Before the attack? She knew it was coming?"

Dr. Griffin's breath caught as she nodded and, through her tears, choked out, "Yes."

Kane was quiet for a long time, and after a few moments, he finally asked the one question that was on his mind. "Alessia. Did she know, too?"

"She wasn't with Clarke. I don't think she did." While Abby sniffed back her tears, Kane thought about where his daughter was, and his heart began to race thinking about whether or not she was okay. What's more was that he couldn't even begin to fathom how Clarke could do something like this to them. To Alessia, even. He heard Abby whisper his own thoughts. "How could she do something like this?"

Kane knew the answer before she even had to ask. "Because she grew up on the Ark. She learned what to do from us. They both did."

"_Clarke _let this happen. She could've stopped it."

"She made a choice. Like executing people for stealing...food from the rations room to feed the underprivileged. Like imprisoning your own daughter because you were scared you'd done something horribly wrong." Kane swallowed thickly. "Like sucking the air...from the lungs of...three hundred parents so they could save their children because you couldn't save yours."

Abby fell silent. "Like floating the man you love to save your people."

"Yes." Kane stared at Abby from across the debris, a pain in his eyes that she could make out from the glint of the light in her hand. "We have to answer for our sins, Abby."

"After everything we've done..." she began lowly, a newfound hardness in her voice. "Do we even deserve to survive?"

He didn't know how to answer that. Truth be told, he wasn't sure that they did.

* * *

_"Alessia?" Calix called out from the kitchen area as he poured himself a glass of water. He had spent two days at the Kane household, mostly from early in the morning to late at night. Those two days had been pure hell having to deal with Kane's daughter, who barely talked to him. When she did talk, it was mostly a sour comment in the form of a rude insult directed towards him or her father. But the strange part was, he hadn't heard a word from her since he'd gotten into the house in the morning when she yelled at him to go away after he tried to bring her some juice. _

_Hearing no response to his call, Calix set his water down and went over to her bedroom, where he knocked on the door and waited outside for her to answer it. _

_"Alessia, what are you doing?" he asked, starting to get alarmed. No one answered the door, and when he tried to open it, he found it locked. He tried the knob a few more times to break the seal, but it wouldn't budge. Angrily, he twisted the knob as hard as he could and shoved his shoulder into the door once, twice, and a third time until it finally broke the lock and he stumbled through the doorway. No one was inside, and to his left, he saw an open vent that most likely served as Alessia's escape hatch. _

_"Son of a bitch," Calix muttered as he left her room, grabbed his Guard's jacket, and left the Kane household to find the pain-in-the-ass teenager. _

_It took him a while, time which he didn't have, but he finally found Alessia Kane, who was messing around in Farm Station with some sixteen-year-old douchebag in a janitor's closet. When he'd opened the door in the middle of the handsy teenage boy groping Alessia's ass like it was money, Alessia was both impressed and furious. _

_"How the hell did you find me?!" she demanded. Calix didn't answer her. Instead, he looked at the horny teenage boy and jerked his thumb out of the room. _

_"Get lost," he warned. The teenager, slightly peeved and mostly fearful of what the Guard would do to him if he stayed, grabbed his shirt off the floor and scurried out of the janitor's closet like he was a mouse released from its trap. When he was gone, Calix gestured to her shirt on the floor. "And you. Get dressed, Alessia. We're leaving." _

_"You can't tell me what to do. I don't want to go back. I'm not going back." She crossed her arms over her half-covered body and gave him a pointed look. Calix looked to the left and right at him to make sure that no one was watching and then stepped into the janitor's closet, pulling the door shut behind him. She flinched at the slam of the door and watched as he fumed. _

_"Do you realize what you're doing right now? This isn't about you! I could care less what you do in your free time as long as it doesn't affect_ me. _I have a lot riding on this. If I screw this up, Kane will have me excommunicated and I'm gonna have to go back to being a mechanic!" __Alessia watched as he threw his hands up in the air. "I suck at being a mechanic!" _

_"That sounds like a personal problem." _

_"No, it's not. It's your problem." He bent down and grabbed her shirt from the floor before tossing it at her. "Now put the goddamn shirt on." _

_She stared at him for a long time, a time that made him extremely weary_—_so much so that he started to avoid her strange gaze. After a moment of hesitation, Alessia whispered, "Are you sure you want me to?" _

_Calix shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, Alessia. Put the shirt on, we need to get back to your house. Now." _

_"We don't have to go..._right_ this second." She inched forward. Calix stayed in his place, but it was more because he was frozen than anything else. It was as if he'd suddenly become extremely aware that Alessia Kane, one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen, was standing in front of him half-naked with a gleam of lust in her eyes. He swallowed thickly._

_"Yeah, we do." It came out weaker than he intended. She had gotten so close to him that she was able to reach out her hands hesitantly and softly brushed her fingers along his guard's jacket, lifting it off his shoulders and setting it on the floor. Calix didn't move as she lifted herself onto her toes to get closer to him. Her breath was intoxicating, like she had charmed it with something that made him lose all his thoughts. _

_"What makes you think you have the right to boss me around?" she whispered quietly, so close to his lips that if he moved just the slightest, they would be touching. Calix's breath on her skin made her shiver, and he could feel it. _

_"I have a feeling you don't particularly like being bossed around that much," he said softly. Her lips stretched into a smile and a small breath of air in the form of a laugh clouded his judgement. _

_"Not unless it's under the right circumstances." Her eyes dipped down to watch her hands as her fingertips brushed over the hem of Calix's shirt and softly landed on the hot skin underneath, right at his waist. "God, you''re so_—"

_Whatever she was about to say, she didn't get the chance to say it. He couldn't help himself anymore. He kissed her so hard, her head was spinning, and she involuntarily buckled into his body and he caught her breathlessly, molding them into one. His fingers tangled into her hair and she moaned in ecstasy in his mouth, and it sent him over the edge. He flipped them around and pushed her back to the door, where it aided in letting the space between them become virtually nonexistent. She lifted herself onto his body and her own hands came up to run across his hair, pulling his chin up to meet her level so that she could kiss him harder. His hand supported their weight on the back of the door, and within merely a few seconds, he'd forgotten all about Kane's orders. _

* * *

They hadn't talked much since their argument. Alessia wanted to say something, but she couldn't, because she knew that if she said something that would require changing the subject, she would have hell to pay for it later.

Takeo was right. She had to choose. And it sucked.

She'd gotten the entire silence to think about her actions, but she was snapped out of it the second she heard Calix start to groan as he lifted himself up onto his elbows to look at his legs. Alessia looked over at him quickly.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just...I can't feel my legs." His eyes snapped up quickly to look at Alessia, alarmed. "Alessia, I can't move my toes."

"No..." she breathed and quickly got onto her knees and went to his legs. "No, no, no, no. This can't be happening."

"What?"

She stared up at him. "I used to spend time with Dr. Griffin when I was a kid in the medical center. There was this guy who'd gotten into an accident in the Earth Station repairs. Abby put a tourniquet on his leg while she assessed some of the other patients who were more severe, but later he complained that he couldn't feel his legs. The internal bleeding caused so much pressure it was cutting off blood circulation."

Calix's eyes widened. "What did she do to fix it?"

Alessia swallowed and shut her eyes trying to remember. "Um...a...a...I can't remember the name of it, it was where she cut into his leg and—"

"Cut into his leg?!"

"Shhh!" Alessia snapped at him, realizing that Calix's exclamation was so loud that it was going to attract attention from the spotter. He shut his mouth instantly and she panicked, looking back at the leg. "She cut into his leg. I think I remember where."

"You _think_?"

She threw a look that could most certainly cut right through him. "Yes, I _think. _Does it matter? Would you rather me do nothing and sit by while you become paralyzed or would you rather me try and save you?" He fell silent. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Hold on."

Alessia reached into her boot and grabbed her knife that she always kept in it for safekeeping. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a canteen and spilled some of it over her knife before taking a long sip. Calix scowled.

"Are you sterilizing your knife with water? That's not how it works, you know."

"It's not water. It's been a tough week." He raised his eyebrows at her, but she only shot him a bitter smile quickly and then dropped it, becoming extremely serious. Never once looking at him, she ordered, "Now shut up and stay still. This is gonna hurt."

From the corner of her eye, she could see him grow apprehensive, and although she wanted to apologize for the lack of subtlety, there was just no time. With a deep breath, she tried to remember one of the many, many traumatic events of her childhood. The good news was, Dr. Griffin's profession interested her, and therefore she remembered it more than she would one of the endless traumatic events bestowed upon her from Kane. But it had been so long, she didn't know if she could do it. She remembered vaguely where the incision was, but she didn't know how long it was or what complications could arise if she did something wrong. When Calix realized that nothing was happening, he looked over his shoulder and saw her struggling, her eyebrows knotted in that specific way that had always accompanied her focus.

He lifted his dirt-baked hand and set it gently on her forearm, causing her to break her intense focus and look over at Calix. In that moment, he saw the vulnerability that he hadn't seen since they had found each other at the massacre. She looked scared. Scratch that, she looked terrified. He nodded at her slowly.

"You can do this," he assured her gently. The words seemed to give her a sense of comfort, although she knew that Calix would trust her with his life if it came down to it—which it had. He let go of her arm, relaxed on his back, and dug his nails into the earth as he anticipated her incision. Alessia inhaled deeply and sat forward. _I can do this._

Playing the distant memory of Dr. Griffin's procedure in her mind, she pressed her knife into the outer portion of his thigh and cut. He screamed so loudly, but his scream was masked by the distant sound of a fog horn. She would've cared to think about what it meant, but she couldn't stop. Once the incision was made, there was no going back. Everything from there was chaos, and to be honest, she couldn't replicate it again even if it were for the life of her. All that continued to play in her mind was the procedure she watched from afar, where Abby had then cut into the fascia lata to relieve the pressure on the man's leg. She felt herself panic, physical pain resulting from Calix's high-pitched shrills that could be heard a mile away, but it would be over once anyone got to them—assuming there was anyone still alive. She made another incision to release the pressure at last, all the while holding back any thoughts of disgust that she felt would have been appropriate. Although she felt like her entire body was on fire and that she was so nervous she was shaking in her heels, her composure was surprisingly clam in the midst of the storm she was under. When the incision was made and Calix finally relaxed, she let out a sigh of relief.

"I did it. I did it." She resisted the urge to smile, not because it was inappropriate but rather she didn't have enough energy to do so. She looked over at Calix to watch his reaction, but she found that he was not rejoicing—instead, he was just laying there blankly. An alarm immediately triggered in her head, and she scooted over to his chest and grabbed his face in her hands, despite the fact that they were covered in his blood.

"Calix?!" she shouted in his face, shaking him violently. It was as if she could hear the morbid blank line of the old EKG machine on the Ark. When she looked back at Calix's exposed leg, that's when she saw it—the small tear made by her incision that was gushing out blood that she didn't recognize was excessive because she was so inexperienced. In hindsight, cutting him open wasn't a good idea. The reality was, they didn't have many options.

"No, no, no, no," Alessia hissed to herself before rushing over and placing her hand firmly on the bleeder, knowing that the second she took her hand off, his blood pressure would plummet further. Thinking chaotically, she tried to come up with a solution. She needed sutures, but where the fuck would she find a needle and threat out in the fucking wild? _Think, Alessia, think! _She didn't have much of a choice at that point. Her only options were a stick and the clothes off her back, which she semi-successfully managed to hurriedly split apart the spread from the hem of her shirt into smaller threads. Still keeping a hand on her wound, she soaked a bunch of small sticks in her alcohol and made the tip of the stick so pointed that it would prick her if she tried. Though quite difficult one handed, she managed to get what she could done with her operating hand, including tying the end of her thread onto the makeshift needle. When she turned back to Calix's leg, she knew there would be consequences. She knew something would be wrong with what she was doing. But she needed to save him and she had no more choices left.

The sutures took a few minutes, as well as a few tries, but eventually she managed to get them all to stick in their places, and the bleeding was temporarily stopped. She attempted to stitch up the rest of his wound, but in the end she had to tear off a part of Calix's shirt (for she was dangerously low on her own fabric) and do the best she could with the makeshift stitches that would hold them over for a while. After she finished some time later, she turned back at Calix and looked at him with wild eyes.

"Come on. Come back! Come back! Please," Alessia begged, but he wasn't waking up. She could see a gleam of sweat on his forehead, but she didn't know if that was from the pain or from an infection that she was positive was possible out in the wilderness as they were. When he didn't move, she sucked in a deep breath and a tear or two before clamping her hands together and lifting herself onto her knees and over his chest. With her hands over his heart, she pressed down as hard as she could, over and over again until the tears came out of her eyes and she couldn't stop it. She lost count at how many compressions she had given him, until at last he reawakened with a painful groan. Alessia stopped her madness and looked down at him, her face tomato red and her eyes gleaming with fresh tears. "You didn't die. Thank God, thank God, you didn't die."

He watched her curiously as she continued crying, even after she realized he was okay. It got worse. She buried her head in her hands and sat back on her knees and cried more. She cried and cried and cried until she was sure she would never have to cry again in her entire life. He had only ever seen her cry once, when Clarke was taken into confinement and when Clarke's father had been executed. He had only ever seen her cry that one time when she realized her life was rapidly changing. And now, as he watched her cry more, he knew it was the same.

"Tell me," he whispered quietly, but she heard him even through her weeping. And she had already planned to.

"I'm sorry. I'm _so _sorry," she said through her sobs, hiccuping a few times as she looked down at Calix with eyes as red as the sky. He said nothing, but only watched her as she cried until her tear ducts were empty. "I choose him. I choose him."

* * *

Things had gotten awfully quiet. Too quiet. Abby didn't feel like talking after she and Kane both fell silent at the idea that they were the people who didn't deserve to survive, rather than their daughters, but after a while, the silence grew so cold it was alarming. With the light still on Kane's face, Abby could not see his eyelids open to indicate that he was alert and functional. She began immediately to panic.

"Marcus?" she tried, but there was no answer. Her voice got louder. "Marcus. Marcus, wake up! Marcus, wake up! Wake up!"

She had to get to him. If he died, she wouldn't know what to do. What would she have left? Her daughter was a traitor, a murderer, even, and she was the Chancellor who didn't have any authority. What would she do if he died? Who would she have to console her or tell her she was making the wrong decision? In an overwhelming rush of adrenaline, Abby fought so hard she was sure she would have serious pain later on because she managed to lift the moderately heavy debris off of her long enough so that she could crawl her way over to Marcus, still trapped underneath the beam. She could feel the tears threaten at her eyes as she panicked more and tried desperately to find a way to get him out. He wouldn't survive. But _he _deserved to survive. But when there was nothing left to do, all she could was let herself have a few tears and laid her head on his chest to comfort him as long as she could.

Then, a few minutes later, she heard something. A horn of some kind, a commotion outside.

"Marcus!" she exclaimed, attempting to wake him up. She shook him again. "Marcus. Do you hear that?"

Abby coughed as she could feel the dust and dirt settle in her lungs, but after a moment of commotion and shifting of the atmosphere, her eyes pained when she saw a sliver of light in the dark pit. A figure emerged in view of that light, and Abby blinked a few times to finally come to see that it was Octavia squatting down a few feet in front of them at the opening. Abby sighed in relief.

"Abby! Kane!" Octavia breathed heavily. "We'll get you out of here."

Octavia climbed down the opening to retrieve them, and Abby turned to look at Marcus, who was starting to rouse with the natural light shining in his face. Abby smiled down at him.

"We're gonna be okay."

He nodded to her and Abby tried not to cry again, this time out of joy.

* * *

_"You did an excellent job, Mercer." Kane clapped an approving hand on his protégé back in support of his endeavors. He even received one of Kane's rare, proud smiles_—_one that he had been assured were kept under lock and key. Calix eyed Alessia out of the corner of his eye, who was standing to the side with crossed arms and a slick smile on her face. He felt extremely, irrevocably guilty for what had happened between them before and had been avoiding her at all costs, but she had done nothing but make him remember the pain he had for violating the sanctity of his boss's daughter. "First shift starts tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Council meeting. You can make yourself at home, or you can leave. It's up to you."  
_

_He gave Calix a nod of approval and then brushed past him. Before he left, though, he turned around to Alessia and pointed a stern finger at her. "No trouble, Alessia." _

_She smiled innocently. "Of course not." _

_Kane threw a look of suspicion, and even disgust, at her before exiting their home onto his daily duties. With Calix and Alessia alone, the air grew stale. Alessia stared at him, but Calix tried everything he could not to look at her. Eventually, he inhaled and turned to leave. _

_"I should go." _

_"Or," she prompted without moving an inch. He paused halfway through his turn and listened to her as she said, with an obvious smile in her voice, "You could stay. Don't worry, I know where all the cameras are. There's a blindspot." _

_Calix turned around sharply and looked her square in the eye. "Alessia..._this _can never happen again. It won't happen again. Do you understand that?" _

_She frowned. "Why can't it happen, exactly?"_

_"Because." _

_"Because...?" _

_"Because...you're Kane's daughter!" _

_"Yeah, and I'm assuming you have a father, too. So what?" She stepped closer, but it was hardly close enough. "This isn't about my father, Calix. It's about us. And I like you." Alessia smiled, but it was strange. He saw the smile, but it was different from the wall that she put up. The smiles she gave were vindictive, more manipulative than anything. This one was genuine, or so it seemed. "I like you a lot, actually." _

_"You like the idea of me," he warned. "You like the idea of sneaking around with someone who's close to your father because you want to get back at him. You like the adventure." _

_"What's so wrong with liking the adventure?" Alessia propositioned. "Besides, didn't I just say I liked you? Because I do, Calix. You're interesting. You're not who I usually..." He watched as she stopped herself and bit down on her lip to indicate her choice of words. "...associate with." _

_Calix scoffed. "Yeah, that's because you associate with teenage asshats_—"

_"Do I detect jealousy?" _

_"Try disdain." _

_"Disdain because you caught me about to have sex with some...teenage asshat." She smiled. "And then you had sex with me. So what's the problem?" _

_"The problem is, Alessia..." he trailed off, unsure of why he was arguing with her, but he knew it was for the best. "The problem is that I like you, too. But I can't date you because you're Kane's daughter and...he's the type of father to float a man for getting involved with his daughter." _

_"It's a risk I'm willing to take," she admitted while trying to hide her appreciative look. "But did you just say 'date'? If we're sneaking around, I don't think we can really 'date'." _

_Calix smiled softly. "I have some ideas." _

_Alessia grinned back at him and laughed under her breath. "Oh, do you, now?" _

_"I do." _

_"Well, then, I guess I'll have to amend my rule." He cocked an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. "No falling for one of Kane's minions. I've had it since I was ten." _

_"Oh?" _

_"I had a crush on one of his Lieutenants. Older, obviously. Broke my heart." _

_"Really?" Calix chuckled under his breath and shook his head for a moment as he reached out for the door, knowing that_—_although he was willing to start something with her_—_now wasn't the time.__ He turned his head to look at Alessia and gave her a playful look. "Well, if it's any consolation, I have a feeling that one day, you're gonna break mine." _

_She smiled gently. "There's only one way to find out." _

* * *

Calix and Alessia hadn't said a single word to each other since Sinclair and others from the Ark found them in the woods and helped them make a makeshift gurney for Calix so they could go down and see the wreckage. The air was entirely stale, however, with her words hanging in the air with a giant, neon sign to accompany them.

_I choose him. _

She didn't realize that words could cause so much pain, both to him and to her. It was selfish, she knew, to think of herself in this situation, but she had come to realize when trying to save Calix's life that the only reason she was fighting was because she didn't want him to die without having a fair chance at finding someone who would love him unconditionally. Who would love him despite the fact that she thought he had died. She blamed him for ruining them when she knew it was her fault—if she loved him, she wouldn't have given up on them, but she did.

But her troubles—at least those ones—had been wiped out of her mind when she saw her father also being carried on a makeshift stretcher, barely awake. She abandoned Calix's side, who had then been accompanied by Dr. Griffin to look at Alessia's surgical procedure, to run over to her father to make sure he was okay.

"Dad!" she exclaimed as the men holding his stretched came to a halt to let Alessia talk to him. Kane groaned under his breath, but his head rolled up to see his daughter. She had no more tears left in her, so she didn't cry. Instead, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Then, she whispered, "Daddy, please tell me you're okay."

Kane was quiet for a while, but he could see a small smile on his lips start to form. "You called me 'daddy'," he whispered quietly. She scoffed and hung her head, pressing her forehead lightly against his chest, thankful that he was okay. "You haven't called me that since you were five."

She sniffed and looked up at him with a sad smile. "That's because you didn't make me fire my first gunshot until I was seven."

He laughed, but after a moment, she watched as a look of nostalgia wiped over his face. She waited and noticed him thinking, and after a while, he finally looked over at her with tears in his eyes, something she had never seen before. She gripped his hand tightly and listened as he choked out, "I'm _so _sorry for everything I've done to you. I wish I had been a better father."

"Dad..." She looked down at their hands for a moment and thought about her words. She felt as if the ten thousand pounds of weight that had been on her shoulders before the bomb had only intensified, and she felt like it was beginning to have its effect on her. She finally looked up at him and nodded. "Everything you've done has made me who I am. Don't apologize for it."

Kane watched as she gave him a small smile, and he nodded along with her to indicate that he agreed. At last, he squeezed her hand as tight as he could and whispered, "I love you, Alessia."

"I love you, too, Dad."

She finally backed away and let the guards take her father to a secure location for transport, and from out of the corner of her eye she could see Abby as she demanded, "I need to get Calix and Kane back to the Ark. They need blood right now."

Jackson tried to stop her, to get her to be examined herself, but she ignored him and walked over to Alessia, who rubbed her face to get rid of the puffiness so that she could face Abby with a level head. With an outward sigh, she crossed her arms.

"Are they going to live? My dad and...and Calix?"

"Yes." Abby reached forward and touched Alessia's shoulder cautiously. "You did the best you could, Alessia. I'm surprised you remembered that procedure."

"Some things tend to stick with me, I guess."

Abby was about to reply, but before she could, there was a sudden rumble in the crowd of Grounders. They all began to chant "Heda" as Abby and Alessia looked up to find Clarke and Lexa standing above the bomb site, tall and proud. Abby stiffened and Alessia knotted her eyes at Clarke, who stood without a scratch. How? She didn't have a chance to think about it.

"What happened here will not stand," Lexa announced to her crew. "The Mountain will fall. The dead will be avenged!"

The crowd erupted into excitement, but Alessia realized that this only angered Abby. She flinched when Abby screamed out over the cries, "Enough! Enough!" When they finally subsided, she stared up at Lexa and Clarke with hard stares. "There are still others in the wreckage. We heard them. Go to work!"

Almost immediately, all of the guards from the Ark began to flock to the wreckage site to pull out the survivors with the aid of the Grounders. Alessia watched as Clarke and her mother exchanged a cold glare, and at last Abby stepped off to help those in need, just like she always did. But the wheels in Alessia's head began to turn around and around and around as she looked between Clarke and Abby to fill in the blanks left behind by their conflicting presence.

Clarke found her way down to the wreckage after a moment or two, and after conversing with Octavia, she found Alessia watching as some guards pulled Calix and Kane away so that Abby could tend to them. Clarke watched them as well and exhaled heavily.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to them. I heard you had to do a surgery in the woods."

Alessia crossed her arms, but didn't look at Clarke. Her wretched words stung in her ears again. _I choose him. _She decided not to relay this information to Clarke, finding it irrelevant and emotion-provoking, two of the things she didn't have time for.

"We do what we have to do to survive." She turned to Clarke. "Isn't that right?"

Clarke could detect a double meaning to her words, and she panicked. Did Alessia know that she escaped before the bombing? Did she know that she left her there to die? Did she know that she was responsible for all the bloodshed? Clarke gulped nervously.

"That's right."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review! **

* * *

**diakappers: **Haha he's not going anywhere! At least, for now. I was considering letting him die, but that would a) be too easy and b) kind of mess things up with Bellamy/Alessia so it was a tactical decision. Thanks for the review!

**RHatch89: **Lolol everyone is! Alessia/Bellamy all the way:) Thanks for reviewing!

**caymanislands: **Thank you! Here's the update. Um, if I'm not mistaken, I think Raven accidentally slipped up and told him but I just didn't write that part, but eventually it will probably come up again.

**HALEBTRASH: **Two words: super. pissed. We saw at the end of this chapter that she kinda/sorta knows, but once Octavia finds out and once Alessia really understands the danger Clarke is putting her and her friends in, she's not going to be happy about it. Thanks for the update!

**Samantha: **He's not dying, but there will probably be some repercussions and complications. Alessia's gonna be extremely pissed next chapter, just you wait. Thanks! Here's the update.

**UnraveledGhoul: **He's not dying! He's surviving, but like I said, there may be so complications. Thank you so much! Here's the update!

**Guest: **Nope, he didn't die! I mean, something bad happened to him...lol Alessia basically crushed his heart, but he'll get over it. We'll see some happy Calix in Season 3 :)

**Audrie-13: **Barely alive/severely injured, yes. I wouldn't make him die, that would be too easy! Plus, Calix deserves happiness. Not with Alessia, though haha. Here's the update!

**RosaSilvermist: **Lol pretty much sums up the entire situation. Thanks for the review!

**Give me my love: **Thank you so much! Here's the update!

**Guest: **Same. She'll get better (maybe). Here's the update!

**justinegeib: **Here's the update!


	27. Bodyguard of Lies

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Bodyguard of Lies**

_Dear Diary, _

_I am irrevocably fucked up_.

Alessia felt her hand cramp as she pressed so hard down on the piece of paper in her journal that she could feel the imprint of the word 'fucked up' all the way on to the next three pages. She ended her period with an exasperated period, but had no more words to say. That was all she wanted to say, really. After hours of talking with Calix in the woods and another hour of nonstop crying, her sadness turned into anger and hatred at herself. It was the first time in forever that she had really, truly hated herself.

She didn't really understand why, exactly. There were a few theories in her head that seemed plausible. Maybe she despised every inch of her body because she felt like she was covered in germs, the kind of germs you get when you destroy someone's life in order to salvage your own. Maybe it was because she felt incredibly guilty over saving the love of her life only to tell him she didn't love him anymore. Maybe it was because she was so angry at herself for dragging it out so long, when really she should've chosen sooner so that she would have gotten over her wretchedness when they weren't about to go into battle. But the worst theory broke her heart in half. It was the feeling that maybe she hated herself because there was a reasoning in the back of her mind that she knew was true: she didn't want Calix to die not because she wanted him to live but because she didn't want to feel obligated to love Bellamy. She wanted him to live so that she could love someone else.

And that was really _fucking_ fucked up.

"You don't look pleased, Skaigada." Alessia looked up to see Takeo take a seat beside her next to the fire pit. He smiled slightly at her. "But I am. I'm happy to see you're not dead."

"Depends on your definition of dead," she muttered under her breath as she tied up her journal and set it aside her so that she could look at Takeo without distraction. Her eyes were heavy though, mainly because she didn't get much sleep considering the past 72 hours. "Did Indra round up all the warriors back from camp?"

He nodded. "I was one of the firsts sent out. There should be more soon." He watched her as she muttered in agreement and her eyes fell somewhere else, whereupon he took a deep breath and continued. "I heard about Mercer and your father."

Her eyes flickered up quickly. "Did they make it back?"

"Yes. Dr. Griffin transported Kane and Mercer as quickly as she could. The last I heard, she was operating on Calix's leg to finish your procedure. Kane is stable, but I was informed that he must be operated on as well, which has probably happened already."

She opened her mouth to ask something, but instead she closed it tightly and took a deep breath before rephrasing her earlier question. "Is my father alright? Did you see him?"

"I did not. But I heard that he was holding up well. Dr. Griffin didn't seem to worry about him as much as she did Calix." When Alessia was quiet and said nothing, Takeo cocked an eyebrow at her. "Aren't you going to ask how your boyfriend is, Skaigada?"

Alessia shifted uncomfortably. "Uh...no."

Takeo opened his mouth, but before he could ask the question lingering in his mind, they were interrupted by Octavia, who tried to soften the stomps of her feet, but was unsuccessful in hiding her anger. Alessia's attention automatically turned to the young Blake, who crossed her arms and nodded at Alessia.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked, her eyes flickering towards Takeo for a moment to indicate that she did not want an audience. The elder brunette nodded.

"Of course." Kane turned to Takeo and gave him a single look, in which he took it upon himself to be excused. He gave Octavia a small, polite smile before going to find the other warriors to take Indra's orders. When he was gone, Octavia sat down on the log next to Alessia, but neglected to look at her. Alessia turned, her undivided attention on Octavia. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes. Well, no. Maybe." Octavia looked into the fire for one moment and then glanced up at her friend seriously. "I've been going over it in my head a million times and it just doesn't make sense. I saw Clarke before the missile hit. I don't understand how she's still alive."

Alessia stared at her with her mouth in a tight line. Did she know that there was a very good possibility Clarke was aware of the danger surrounding Tondc? Yes. Did she say anything? No. Why? Because she didn't need to. Clarke knew what she did was wrong. She will live with the regret of all the deaths on her hands for the rest of her life. That was her eternal punishment for almost getting her father and Calix killed.

Besides, she wasn't stupid or irrational. Making a scene would cause everyone to go into an uproar and ruin any chance they had at saving everyone inside of Mount Weather. Clarke's sins could be dealt with later.

"Octavia—"

"Did you see something, Alessia? Something that could...anything that could explain why Clarke would come out of a bombing unscathed?"

"Octavia." Alessia observed as the younger teenager looked at her with desperation to prove her doubt was false. She shook her head cautiously and tried to say her truth in the way that would be the least upsetting. "Clarke will have live with what she's done. She will have to deal with the blood on her hands. Let her live with the guilt and be done with it."

The young warrior's eyes widened as she realized what Alessia was saying, and they turned from surprised to disappointed to furious. "How can you defend her like that?"

"_Defend _her? Octavia, I nearly lost my father! I nearly lost..." she trailed off, but the name didn't feel right on her tongue. She shook it off and continued, "I had to perform an open surgery out in the middle of the woods. You know whose fault that is? Clarke's. But there are only two lessons I can teach to people, one being how to fire a perfect shot and the other being how to let someone rot themselves away without having to lift a finger. I'm not defending her. I'm choosing to let her ruin herself without ruining the lives of our friends while we're at it. If you were smart, you'd do the same."

Octavia's jaw locked, as if she was biting back the anger that was rising in her chest. Alessia didn't blame her. Before she came down to the ground, she would've jumped at the chance to put Clarke in her place and kick her while she was down. What she did was inexplicably wrong, there was no denying that. But what good would it be to pit themselves against each other? She could deal with Clarke's indiscretion later.

"If she can put our lives in danger like that, why do you think that would be any different with Bellamy?" Octavia muttered under her breath. Alessia's eyes dropped to the ground and she moved her head slightly so that she stared into the fire, thinking—hoping—what Octavia foretold would never become a reality.

"I would never let her put him in danger."

"Haven't you already?"

"That was not my choice!" she snapped, causing Octavia to flinch slightly as Alessia looked up at her with hardened eyes. Octavia's roughness with her ceased as Alessia tried to calm herself down to explain, "I asked him to stay. I _begged _him to stay with me. He chose to leave."

Right as Octavia was about to open her mouth and say something, something which Alessia was sure she didn't want to have to answer, Clarke came out of Lexa's tent and found her way over to Alessia and Octavia by the fire. Sensing the tension between the two teenagers around the flames, she walked up and cleared her throat.

"Everything okay?" Clarke inquired gently. Alessia tore her eyes from Octavia's to look up at Clarke, who patiently awaited for an answer while studying Octavia, trying to decipher whether or not her secret was blown. Alessia sighed to herself.

"Yes. Everything's—"

"Tell me you didn't know it was coming." Octavia blurted out, snapping her eyes up to stare at Clarke so hard that Clarke wished she could recoil into herself and neglect a response.

Alessia's head whipped over to scold, "Octavia Blake, what did I just say?!"

"You don't get a say in this! I deserve the right to know." Octavia brushed it off and maintained a hard stare at Clarke, who only hung her head as she realized the pressure she was under. "Did you, Clarke? Did you know it was coming?"

"Octavia..."

"You let all those people die." Clarke didn't need to say anything for Octavia to know the truth. Even her name that had come out of Clarke's mouth sounded so wrong, so regretful. It was a truth within itself. "You were gonna let _me _die!"

Octavia hastily stood from the log and walked over to Clarke, who stood up to face her. Alessia quickly stood up between the two sparring teenagers, desperately attempting to try and ease the anger that filled the air around them.

"I told you not to do this," Alessia warned the younger brunette, who disregarded her statement just as the blonde next to her did. Clarke's breath hitched while she tried to explain herself.

"I did it to save Bellamy. So that we could win this war. Don't you see that—?"

"Don't bring him into this." Alessia turned sharply to face her friend, who was surprised to see Alessia so angry with her. "Don't you dare use his sacrifice to justify yourself for what you did! You were _wrong_. Why can't you just accept that and apologize?"

"I'm _sorry_." It was half-assed at best. "But if we'd evacuated Tondc, Mount Weather would've known that someone tipped us off. They would've found him."

"No, Bellamy would have never told you to do that." No matter how rational it was or whether or not Alessia agreed, Octavia wouldn't have it. She shook her head at Clarke with disappointment and anger tracing her irises. "He would've found another way!"

Clarke was quiet for a moment before justifying, yet again, "I couldn't take that risk."

"Right." Octavia snarled. "Because you're in charge now, and you decide who's disposable." She paused as Clarke's eyes drifted to the ground, ashamed of the words that came out of Octavia's mouth. But Octavia didn't stop there. "You'd have fit right in on the Council!"

Too angry to continue their argument, Octavia brushed past both Alessia and Clarke, despite Alessia's solemn protests, and disappeared into the darkness. Alessia tried to go after her, but Octavia didn't want to hear it anymore. Right as Alessia was about to pass Lexa's tent to go after Octavia, Clarke called her back. This, in turn, caused Octavia to stop and listen to what they were saying, but she remained out of it until it was over.

"Hey, Alessia—"

"What the hell do you want from me?" Alessia spun around quickly to face Clarke, who had just reached for her arm, but had pulled her hand back when she realized it wasn't necessary to force her back. Clarke watched as Alessia squared her jaw and hissed angrily at her with no regrets. "You want me to stand here and tell you that what you did was okay? No! What you did was not okay. It will never be okay. I knew better than to make a deal out of this, but the second you start justifying yourself for what you've done is the end. You murdered innocent people, Clarke."

"Shh. I know." Clarke dropped her voice to a quiet whisper, barely audible to anyone but Alessia, and requested, "But you can't tell anyone. Neither can she. If people find out—"

"The alliance will break, I know. Don't worry, your dirty little secret is safe." Alessia growled before stepping away, only to find herself blocked by Commander Lexa, who stared at her with uneasy eyes. Alessia stopped herself quickly beside Octavia and crossed her arms at the Commander, who waited for Alessia to acknowledge her presence. Octavia broke the ice.

"Commander," she said, bowing her head in respect. Lexa acknowledged her as well.

"Octavia." Lexa's eyes remained on Alessia, who begrudgingly gave the Commander a polite smile. However, Alessia wasn't one for giving the proper respect to those she deemed unworthy. So her next words were pointed with intent hidden underneath them.

"Lexa."

"Alessia."

"It's time for the southernmost guard post rotation," one of Lexa's guards, Ryder, mentioned while he looked right at Octavia. "You should relieve them."

Octavia raised her eyebrows and looked at Lexa, though the Commander did not speak once. "Indra expects me to be on the scouting mission with Lincoln."

"And now you're needed at the guard post. Indra will join you there shortly."

Octavia looked at Lexa for reassurance, and when the Commander nodded her away, Octavia reluctantly went off to relieve the guards at the post. Alessia turned over her shoulder to look at Clarke, who stood behind her with a guilty look on her face, and after a while, Alessia shook her head and walked off in the opposite direction to find something or someone to relieve her stress. When they were gone, Clarke walked up to Lexa's side and sighed.

"Alessia won't say anything. Neither will Octavia."

"You can't be sure of that. Too many people know, Clarke."

"You worry about your people, I'll worry about mine."

With that said, Clarke walked off, leaving Lexa's side. The Commander, still slightly concerned over the uncertainty of the situation, turned to the warrior beside her and debated what command to give. At last, she spoke.

"_Frag emo op. _[Kill them.]"

* * *

A while later, Alessia begrudgingly walked over to Takeo over by Indra's campfire with the Warriors, most likely talking war strategy, or what she liked to call "shop talk". He was laughing with some of his Grounder friends, probably about how much fun it would be to slay the Mountain Men. She didn't care what happened to them, so long as Bellamy and the rest of her friends got out of the mountain alive. Cage could rot underground for the rest of his life, she didn't care.

She didn't want to go over and talk to him not because he was with other Grounders but because she didn't really feel like talking to anyone who could possibly guess that she was in a pissy mood. Nevertheless, she had to find Octavia. Not only was she worried about Octavia's safety, a part of her was also worried that Octavia's passion would get in the way of her rationality, and thus cause her to blow the whistle on a secret that really shouldn't be exposed. Alessia didn't have to like what Clarke did, but that didn't mean that she would ruin everything over it. Something like that could break the alliance entirely and get everyone killed.

"Takeo," Alessia called him softly as she walked up behind him and the rowdy group of Grounders by him and the campfire. Takeo turned his head slightly to see her as she came up behind him and put her hands on her hips. "Are Indra and Octavia still on watch?"

Takeo took a moment to receive her question before raising his eyebrows. "Skaigada, Indra's over there." He pointed to Indra, who was leaned over her knees around the rest of the Grounders looking as if she was planning her entrance into Mount Weather with only her eyes and the jumping flames. Alessia began to worry as Takeo turned back at her and shrugged. "And the last I heard, Octavia was out with Lincoln scouting the mountain. Is everything okay? You've been very—"

It was as if an alarm sounded loudly in her head the second she heard the last few sentences out of Takeo's mouth. Octavia was supposed to be with Lincoln, but Lexa's guard had told her to go stand post. What was it? The southernmost? Takeo couldn't even get his whole sentence out before Alessia split so fast with nothing but a "Can't talk now!" as she followed through in the opposite direction. She didn't run, mainly because it would set off alarms to the guards that she realized were watching her so closely that they were practically breathing the same air she was. It was as if her eyes were wide open and she could suddenly see the fleet that followed her.

Maybe 'fleet' was an exaggeration. To avoid suspicion, there were only two Grounders that followed her from inside camp out into the woods. She pretended not to see them and led them further and further away from the rest of their friends, loyal to their Heda, because she had no doubt there was a target on her back. She knew better.

About ten minutes into her walk in the dark forest, she had kept an eye on both of the Grounders that were following her and decided that it was the time to get rid of them. She turned around a tree but stuck herself on it like glue, waiting patiently for the Grounders to follow suit so she could catch them. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the two Grounders with two scary-looking machetes came right up to the tree line and carefully turned, heavily confused when they saw no one walking in the distance. The two idiot Grounders looked at each other, but that was all they had. Alessia rushed out from behind the tree and attacked them both, first hitting one in the head with the butt of her gun so that he fell to the floor, unconscious for at least ten minutes. The second Grounder, however, realized her attack and naturally swung his machete around. Alessia had no reaction time, so it stung like hell when the machete sliced into her upper left arm. Nevertheless, as she held her wound to keep from bleeding, she swept her feet out and kicked the Grounder so hard he fell to his knees, where she gracefully elbowed him in the face just as he tried to swing his machete against her again, this time creating a small incision on her forearm.

"Son of a bitch!" Alessia whispered angrily as she caught her breath and tried to stop the bleeding from her wounds. But after a few seconds passed of silence, she then realized that it wasn't over. If she had a kill order out for her blood, so did Octavia—it was no doubt the work of Lexa, who learned of their knowledge earlier.

She set out after Octavia, grabbing her gun from beside the Grounder she'd hit in the head with the weapon and tried to both keep her wounds from bleeding out and to keep her on her game. She made her way to the southern post, where she could see Octavia's figure in the distance looking out over the mountain to keep watch. She looked impatient, like she was really waiting for Indra to show. They'd taken her as a fool. Octavia was going to hate it when she found out.

And soon, she saw another figure move stealthily in the dark. A grounder with longer hair and heavier gear—Ryder. As quietly as she could, she crept forward, using the dark of the night as her aid. Ryder, however, either sucked as his job or she was just really good at hers, for he heard nothing until the click of the safety off her gun as he pulled an arrow back in his bow, intending it to go for Octavia's back. But with the sound of the mechanical weapon right next to his ear, Ryder froze.

"Move and it goes straight through your head," Alessia muttered darkly as she pointed the gun at the assassin. He didn't even blink.

"I have my orders."

"Here's some new ones: put the bow and arrow down or I blow your brains out."

Ryder contemplated how easy it would be to shoot the arrow quickly and fight Alessia, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. The daughter of the Sky People's most valued warrior had not lost a fight against a Grounder yet, she wouldn't start then. So he had no other choice—he set his bow and arrow down and let Alessia take him down the mountain back to camp, all the while knowing that there was a loaded gun behind his head she would not hesitate to use. As they walked back down, the sun broke out over the horizon and lit their way through camp. Many Grounders turned their heads as they saw Alessia dragging Ryder to Lexa's tent angrily. When she entered, she didn't even care that she was interrupting Clarke and the Commander from whatever important business they had to discuss. She brought Ryder in and shoved him on his knees, her eyes snapping up to both of the so-called leaders before her. At that point, she could admit that she wasn't shoving him around because she was trying to prove a point, but primarily because she felt the need to hit something.

"Guess who I found trying to launch an arrow into Octavia's back?" she said facetiously towards Clarke before turning a pointed glare at Lexa. "You have messed with me one too many times, _Commander. _Not only did you try to kill her, you tried to kill me. A week ago, you tried to kill Bellamy! What the hell kind of truce is this?"

Clarke spun around to Lexa, her eyes wide. "You sent Grounders to kill them? I told you they're not a problem!"

Lexa lifted her chin slightly and nodded to Ryder. "Leave us."

Ryder tried to lift himself up, but Alessia kicked his legs down and clamped a hard hand on his shoulder. Ryder screamed out in pain, likely to be heard through the entire camp.

"Like hell! No one is leaving this goddamn room until someone gets a reality check, and I'll give you a hint: it's not me."

"Alessia, calm down—" Clarke started, walking forward, but she realized the second the words were out of her mouth that it was the wrong thing to say. Alessia's eyes grew to the size of the moon.

"You're gonna tell me to calm down right now? I'm about to get infected because two goons twice the size of me nearly assassinated me and this idiot right here was ordered to murder Octavia, all because we know what you did was wrong. You tell me to calm down one more time and I'll have your ass on the floor, Clarke, so shut the hell up." She turned her eyes to Lexa, who, once again lifted herself as if she were either impressed or pissed. "You. You're going to call this off and leave me and my people the hell alone. I told you I wouldn't say anything but if you pull this shit again, I am painting your secret on my forehead for the whole world to see! I don't like you, I don't like this alliance, and I don't like what you did. But I'm going to do whatever the _hell _I want because I'm getting my people out of that mountain. If I have to kill you to do it, I will."

Alessia watched as Lexa's lips pursed and she slowly stood from her chair. She couldn't tell whether Lexa would agree with her terms or pull out her sword. But before she could say anything, as her lips parted to speak, two Grounders rushed into the tent—the Grounders that were sent to kill Alessia. One of them was rubbing his head and the other was dragging him along. She couldn't tell, honestly, which one she had done what to.

"Heda!" the Grounder exclaimed before seeing Alessia, his eyes turning cold. He reached into his pouch and grabbed his machete, the one that was stained with her blood. Just as Alessia braced herself to defend against it, she heard Clarke scream out.

"Get away from her!" Alessia whipped out her gun when the distraction came and found that Ryder had then joined the team of people against her, making it three against one. She sighed internally. _Shit. _Clarke turned around to Lexa and looked up at her with pleading, yet forceful eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you? You can't just kill everyone you don't trust! Call them off."

Alessia didn't have time to be impressed with Clarke's commanding tone. Instead, she braced herself for battle with the Grounders, expecting that Lexa wouldn't listen to such a command. But, oddly enough, she heard Lexa's voice come through just as the Grounder in front of him was close to swinging his machete right at her face.

"The three of you, stand down for now and wait for my command."

The three Grounders, all of them throwing darts at Lexa for making them stand down, had no other choice but to leave the tent and wait for Lexa's command, as she had said. When it was just Lexa, Clarke, and Alessia left in the tent, Clarke turned around to Alessia and gave her the look, the one that told her she had to leave. Alessia gritted her teeth and slipped the handgun into the back of her pants as she snarled.

"I'm leaving because I want to, not because I have to." She threw a look at Lexa. "I'm too tired for this shit."

Clarke and Lexa watched as Alessia left, and as she went out of the tent, Clarke turned around at the Commander, who gave Clarke a pointed stare.

"You were willing to let your friends die two days ago. Nothing has changed."

"You're wrong. I have. I can't do this anymore." Clarke turned on her heel to walk out of the tent to find Alessia and apologize, but as she turned to go, Lexa called her back with her soft, stern voice.

"Octavia and Alessia are threats. Alessia more so, now that she plainly threatened my life in front of my eyes." Lexa walked up behind Clarke and cocked an eyebrow. "If you weren't so close to them, you'd see that."

Clarke spun around angrily. "It's _because _I'm close to them that I know they're loyal. And so is Octavia. Alessia said those things because you put a target on her back and threatened the life of her boyfriend's sister. Bellamy is more important to her and Octavia than anyone else is, and frankly, Alessia would never let our friends to die in that mountain regardless."

"And you're willing to risk everything on that?" Lexa's eyes flickered up, almost tauntingly, to propose to Clarke with a hint of sarcasm, "...on your feelings?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation. "You say having feelings makes me weak, but you're weak for hiding from them. I might be a hypocrite, Lexa, but you're a liar. You felt something for Gustus. You're still haunted by Costia. You want everyone to think you're above it all, but I see _right _through you."

By that time, Clarke had moved so close and Lexa had moved so far that it came to the point where Lexa bumped into one of her chests in the middle of the tent, Clarke standing so close to her that she could feel her hot breath in her space. Lexa replayed Clarke's words over and over in her mind.

"Get out."

"Two hundred and fifty people died in that village. I know you felt for them. But you let them burn."

"Not everyone." Lexa swallowed thickly as her mouth turned down into a hard line. "Not you."

A long silence passed as Clarke tried to digest what Lexa meant. She wanted to say something back, but she realized that she was too angry to come up with the response that she knew would help things. She needed to fix this part first. "Well, if you care about me, then...trust me. Octavia and Alessia are not threats."

"I can't do that."

"I can't sacrifice my people anymore. If you do anything to hurt them, Alessia won't be the one you need to be worried about."

She had nothing more to say. Obviously, Lexa needed time to think about where her priorities stood, and as for Clarke, she needed some time to cool off. She may have upset her friends once, but she sure as hell wouldn't do it again.

* * *

She was so angry, she really didn't know how else to curb the panic other than doing what she did best: train. She found herself a secluded area—isolated yet open enough to see her enemies lest they try again—and began target practice on a tree she carved a large "X" into. One after another, she shot into the center of the X over and over and over again; that was, until she heard a branch crack behind her. Alessia whipped around so fast, pointing the gun at the person behind her with a stern look on her face.

Takeo surrendered his hands, staring across at Alessia with alarmed eyes. "It's only me."

She frowned. "Are you here to kill me?"

"I hadn't planned to, if that's what you're asking." Alessia slowly lowered her weapon and then, without giving him a second glance, turned back to the tree and pointed her gun up at the target. She fired another shot, which hit just next to the last one. Takeo walked forward at his own risk, studying Alessia's expression. "Clarke mentioned that you were upset."

Another shot fired. "Clarke would be right, then."

"Would you like to tell me why?"

"No. Not particularly."

"Fine, then." Takeo watched as Alessia tried to fire another shot, but when she came up blank, she scowled and reached into a bag beside her to grab a few more rounds. As she loaded her gun, he continued, "I never told you how Calix was."

She lowered her eyes. "I don't want to know."

He watched as she lifted her gun and fired the three rounds she'd just loaded one after another, all three of them one on top of the other. Takeo may have been impressed if he didn't know she was capable of it. He wanted to say something about her wasting all those bullets, but as he thought about it more, he realized that she wouldn't hesitate to waste one of them on him if he tried.

"You made your choice, Skaigada."

He didn't ask it as a question, but rather told her as a statement. She lifted her head carefully and let her eyes sneak to the corner to look at Takeo over her shoulder. She didn't move at all, and only after a few seconds did she roll her eyes.

"I have more important things to do than talk to you about my love life, Takeo. We're about to go to war."

Alessia lifted her hand again to fire more bullets, but instead, Takeo stepped in front of her and put his hand on the barrel, moving it down to her side. Alessia allowed him to push the gun down, but she didn't look very happy about it. He scoffed.

"Personal issues effect a warrior's strategy, so...this is pretty important."

"I don't have personal issues. Who made you a therapist? God. First off, Kanes don't get help from anyone, let alone an annoying Grounder who sticks his nose into places he doesn't belong." She put her gun into her waistband and crossed her arms at him. He waited. "What do you want me to say, Takeo? Yeah, I chose. It sucked, but I did it and it's over. Can we stop talking about this and start being adults again?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but instead, he reached behind him and pulled out a small mobile walkie talkie from his authentic animal skin bag. Alessia stared down at it, confused, but there was a sudden crack over the radio as someone spoke.

_"Did you find her yet?" _

Alessia could feel her heartbeat speed up so fast, she was afraid it would jump out of her chest. It was Bellamy's voice over the radio, sounding as if he was rushed but anxious to speak to her. Alessia looked up at Takeo, who nodded to the radio, and although it took a few painful seconds for her to decide to reach for it, she took it out of his hand. Her hand, while trembling, wrapped around the walkie talkie and she swallowed before pressing the button on the receiver.

"Bellamy..."

Bellamy could hear Alessia on the other side of the walkie talkie. He was standing by the acid fog machines deep in Mount Weather, staring at the note on the screen in front of him that said "Passivation Successful". Raven had just gone to fire the flare to signal for war, and less than a minute after she'd left, he'd received a message from a Grounder named Takeo who had promised to find Alessia for him. He came through.

"Alessia!" A wave of relief overcame him as he heard her voice, mainly because he'd been worried sick ever since he'd found out about the bomb at Tondc. "You and Octavia, you're okay, right?"

_"More or less." _She paused, as if there was something wrong. He knew there was, but they didn't have much time for such a loaded question. _"And you? Jasper...Monty...what's going on in there?"  
_

That was also a loaded question they didn't have time for. She knew he wouldn't answer truthfully, just because it was Bellamy and he didn't like to worry her when she didn't need to be. So, of course, Alessia expected it when she heard over the radio, _"We're fine, Robin Hood. You don't need to worry about me." _

"Then you don't get to tell me what to do."

He chuckled softly. Bellamy realized it was one of the first genuine smiles he'd had since entering Mount Weather. "I did it, Kane. The acid fog is down...we can finish this."

_"I wouldn't celebrate just yet. We still have to get through the doors." _

_"I have a feeling you'll kick them in if you have to." _

She laughed, and Takeo crossed his arms and watched as she leaned against a tree across the way, holding the walkie talkie to her lips for a moment of hesitation before a silence fell upon them as she debated her words. Finally, she looked up at Takeo and, upon seeing him nod, decided.

"Bellamy, I—choose you." She ran her tongue along her teeth and repeated, "I..._choose _you, as stupid as it sounds. Shit. I'm not good at this, am I?"

He paused, digesting the words he'd barely heard in his ear over the mobile radio. She waited in painstaking silence as Bellamy listened to the sound of it, replaying the words in his head over and over again. _I choose you. _He couldn't remember the last time he was chosen over anyone, even his own sister. He'd spent his whole life doing things for other people that being chosen by someone else was something he didn't know how to react to. All he knew was, a tiny flood of joy filled his dark view in the cold, stinky acid fog room.

_"Damn it." _She heard him exhale heavily. "_I wish I could see you right now." _

Alessia smiled. "Soon. For now, that will have to do."

Bellamy smiled, too. "Soon."

She lifted herself from the tree and walked over to Takeo, where she handed him the walkie talkie and nodded graciously.

"Thank you," she told him. Takeo slipped the walkie into his bag and gave her a soft smile.

"Did it work?"

"I think so." Alessia gave him a smile too and grabbed a handful of bullets from her bag as she walked away from him. She reloaded her gun as she walked out back to camp, where she saw Clarke standing next to Lexa by the top of the hill, looking down at all the warriors Indra had called to aid them in their war. She could hear Lexa's battle cry and the sound of the war horn. When Clarke saw that Alessia had approached her side, clicking her magazine into her gun and all, she turned to Alessia with the intent to apologize.

"Alessia—"

Alessia turned her head and shook it forcefully. "Don't." She watched as Lexa turned her head as well to see Alessia as she held up her gun for show and just nodded. "Let's go win this goddamn war."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**caymanislands: **Thank you! Sorry for the wait but here it is. Hopefully there was enough Bellamy POV!

**Pluv143000: **Thank you! I was really proud of those flashbacks actually lol and there's an episode in Season 3 where I'm also planning to have an episode with flashbacks that I'm hoping I can do the same as what I did with this one because it seemed to work. Hahaha thanks. Yeah, and in this chapter, it came to a really tough head, but next chapter is going to be worst just because of what Lexa does once they get to Mount Weather. Kane and Alessia's scenes in that chapter were my favorite literally because of what you said, it was like their worst points in time contrasted against their best one. Thanks so much! Yeah, I was set on keeping Calix alive because not only does that create a bit of tension for Alessia (who knows that she wanted him to be alive only because she wanted to be with Bellamy) and without him being alive, it would be as if she were choosing him only because Calix was gone. Oh my god, thanks so much that's so sweet! Thank you, and I hope you did well on yours! Here's the update :)

**Pluv143000: **Lol you're fine!

**minitwin1: **Thanks so much! Hahaha me too :P Thanks for reviewing! :)

**RHatch89: **Haha well of course! Thanks for reviewing.

**Samantha: **Happy tears or sad tears? I feel sorry for Calix too honestly but the good news is, it gives him a chance for a happier life next season (somewhat...I mean, this is The 100 after all lol). Oh, trust me, Alessia and Clarke are still on the outs even though Clarke sort of had her back in this chapter because the bottom line is, she did something sooooo wrong that she can't take back. But the season finale will be an emotional rollercoaster but will also prove the importance of their friendship in the end. I tried to put some of Bellamy's POV in there at the end because otherwise this chapter would be like 150000 words long lol so I hope you liked it! Thanks so much! Here's the chapter.

**frederxck: **Starting from the beginning? Oh, lordie. You're in for a ride :P Thanks!

**HALEBTRASH: **Thank you!

**Give me my love: **Thanks! Aw, well...I mean, everyone is, let's be real here but it's sad for Calix (he'll get over it lol). Thanks! I'm glad you liked the flashbacks and the father-daughter scene, I worked so hard on them lol. Thanks so much and I did pass all of them so woohoo!

**styxgonecrazy: **Here's the update! Hope you enjoyed it.

**Bee-back: **Thank you! Yeah, exactly, so I made sure that I kept him alive (for now). Lol Alessia's pissed. She hid it really well at the beginning but she's super pissed and she'll still continue to be pissed for a while, but in the end, they have to do what they have to do to survive and she'll figure that out eventually. They interacted in this chapter! Total spur of the moment decision, but I figured Alessia needed a pick-me-up because her life has kind of been a little crappy lately. Thanks so much for the wishes! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**frederxck: **Aw thank you. Lol Bellessia is everyone's fav :) Oh, the reunion was my favorite part! I'm actually more excited about these next two chapters though because these are going to be intense. Thanks so much! And no problem, it's actually super fun reading these because then I remember the old chapters lol

**frederxck: **AW NO that was the finale right? Sorry :'( that one's crazy.

**frederxck: **Aw yeah I know but it was time for her to go and for Alessia to gain some development.

**Audrie-13:** Yes it is! Two more episodes this season and then season 3's going to blow shit up lol. Thanks so much for the review, here's the chapter!

**frederxck: **Hahaha I don't think anyone ever mentioned that joke and it was actually my favorite joke Alessia has made so thank you for that.

**Guest: **Thank you! I'm uploading it as soon as I finished Season 2 of this story and as soon as I can get a few chapters ahead so you guys don't have to wait. I'm about 3 chapters in but there are only 10 so I'm getting there :) It'll be up shortly! (P.S. Season 3 is going to be amazing I'm excited)

**frederxck: **They're cute when they argue because it's like they know they love each other but they're just so stubborn and it's adorable to write/read lol

**frederxck: **Aw lol thank you. Haha so do I it's not that uncommon :)

**frederxck: **Yeah that one was sad. I was going to end up making that one a little bit more at the end but then I realized that it was perfect to just end it there with Alessia and Bellamy like that because it's something that they hadn't been through before. The same kind of goes for this chapter because it was one of those moments that they don't have very often so yeah sorry I kind of just went on a tangent...I'll stop now.

**frederxck: **Aw no it's okay here's another one!

**frederxck: **Thank you! Um, I don't think she's going to become more Grounder-style (just because of who her father is and how close she is to the inner circle, and honestly Octavia didn't really feel like she had a place in the world until she came to Earth so that was the reason behind her becoming more Grounder-like or at least that was my analysis) but she's definitely integrating more into the Grounder lifestyle with Takeo's help. Their friendship is beautiful and it's going to be even more amazing in Season 3. He's alright (other than the heartbreak) but he'll heal. Oh yeah, Alessia's got some major changes at the end of this season and the next. All will reveal in time! Thanks so much for the review!

**pyc97: **Thank you! Here's the chapter! Hope you enjoyed it :)

**Lady-Finwe: **Here you go! Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)


	28. Blood Must Have Blood: Part 1

**Here's the first part of the season finale! Hold onto your hats, everyone!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Blood Must Have Blood**

**Part 1**

"Welcome, Sky Crew. Join us." While Lexa greeted them, the Ark soldiers walked reluctantly into Lexa's tent at the warrior camp just outside the village that had been bombed only a few days before. Each of them wearily looked around at the Grounder warriors that surrounded them, but did not move to attack. No one spoke a word, except for Miller's father, who walked up to Clarke with a mechanical device in hand.

"Package from Raven," Sergeant Miller explained as he showed it to Clarke. The blonde flinched from it, remembering what it had done not too long ago. "Hydrazine. She said it would do the job."

"Good."

"And, uh, your mother wanted to be here too..."

Clarke nodded at him, interrupting Miller so he wouldn't have to explain, because she already knew. "I know. But the wounded in Tondc need her more."

Miller gave Clarke a small smile, to which she returned, and he solemnly walked over to the rest of the Guards, who eavesdropped on the conversation between Miller and Clarke before turning their attention back to Lexa. The Commander spoke to her crowd with straight shoulders and a high head, blocking any doubt from their minds with her stature.

"Field Commanders," Lexa addressed the army in the room, "today is the day we get our people back. The enemy thinks it's safe behind its doors, but it's not. When it realizes that, it will fight back. Hard. We need to be ready."

"Which we will be." Alessia finished as Lexa turned her head reluctantly to the acting Commander beside her, the girl who stood just as tall and just as confident as she did. Alessia looked at the crowd, at both the Arkers and the Grounders, and made contact with every single one of them until she had their undivided attention. "But let's get one thing straight before we divulge into this state-of-the-art plan we've cooked up here: this is _not _a kill mission. This, people, is a rescue mission—our goal is to get our people out of that goddamn mountain without shedding a single drop of the blood of those that helped us, of the children that know no better than to get involved, do we understand this?"

There was a resounding, yet begrudging, acknowledgement in the crowd of her request. A trademark Kane smile slipped across her lips.

"Wonderful! Now, as for the dicks shooting at us, they're fair game." She could hear the warriors in the corner chuckle at her blatant disregard, but wholeheartedly agreed and appreciated her approval. Alessia walked to her right to the war model she, Clarke, and Lexa had gone over fifteen million times together, each of them having a different opinion and each of them stubborn enough not to want to give. Eventually, though, they had all the kinks worked out. "Alright, we have lives to save, so let's begin. We have four teams. Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow. The Blue Team is presently at the dam; the Red Team is, also presently, at the mines; the Green Team is inside of the mountain freeing all of the Grounder prisoners to create an even larger team; and the Yellow Team...is us.

"Now, our primary responsibility is to distract those dicks inside the mountain from realizing there are other teams extracting the prisoners. Therefore, we go straight to the front door with everyone we have_. _We need a big enough army to make them believe that our strategy is merely going through the main entrance. The Mountain Men believe that the door can't be opened from the outside, so they don't have guards patrolling it. But it can be. The electromagnetic locking system on the door has one flaw: if the power goes out, the lock disengages. Therefore, we have the Blue Team at the Philpott Dam, where Mt. Weather's power is generated from. So long as everything has gone according to plan, Raven and her allies have taken the turbine room and will blow the power out so that we can blow the lock on the door with the hydrazine she provided for us."

Alessia sighed as she looked over at the battle model with a twinge on her lips and braced to deliver the caveat.

"But of course, nothing comes easy...like, ever, so _naturally_ Mount Weather has a backup generator inside of the mountain to keep them safe in this sort of situation. Hence, if the lock is still functioning when the backup generator goes up...we lose our chance to get inside the mountain. In other words, we won't be able to get our people back."

"How much time do we have until the backup power kicks in?" Miller asked Alessia.

"One minute. No more, no less."

"That's a small window. Why don't we just take out the backup generator too? Bellamy's inside, have him do it."

"Cutting off the backup generator would leave the people of Mount Weather without power and would inevitably kill them all. And as I said, Sergeant Miller..." She glared at him. "This is not a kill mission. We are there to rescue only."

"Besides," Clarke intervened beside Alessia, looking to the crowd. "We lost contact with Bellamy."

Alessia's head snapped over to see Clarke, who kept her eyes off of the brunette beside her so that she wouldn't cause a scene. Just as Alessia was about to say something, she heard Monroe shout, "What?! We did? When?"

"After he took out the acid fog."

"Bellamy's a warrior," Lexa spoke up, spotting Alessia's furious expression that she was extremely concerned with. Alessia glowered at the Commander as Lexa nodded, oddly assuring. It made Alessia's glower turn into a confused look as Lexa calmly added, "He will be fine."

_Screw you, Grounder Bitch, _Alessia murmured in her head and turned away from Lexa without a word. In the same moment, she resumed her lecture.

"Like I said before, the dicks that shoot at us are fair game...and they _will_ be shooting at us, make no mistake. They will be strongly armed and equipped, and they will throw everything that they have towards wiping us out." The room fell silent as Alessia swept her eyes across the warriors. "But remember, if they're shooting at us, it means that they're not looking at what's really happening. While we keep them distracted, the Red Team will be extracting the prisoners through the Reaper tunnels. When they're finished, Indra will sound the retreat and it will be our signal to fall back. Mount Weather won't even know they're missing until we're halfway gone."

No one spoke; everyone merely looked at Alessia as if waiting for her to continue. To be quite honest, she didn't even notice...or for that matter, care. It seemed so easy—the plan, that was—rolling off her tongue, but the reality of it was that it wouldn't be that simple. Of course, that was the thoughts in everyone's head. Finally, Monroe spoke up.

"And then what?"

Clarke and Lexa looked at Alessia as she rose her eyes from the floor where she kept them and stared Monroe dead on.

"Then what?" she repeated incredulously, stepping forward and crossing her arms over her chest. Monroe stiffened as Alessia scowled. "How about we get through the next twenty-four hours and _then _ask 'then what'?!" Her eyes scanned the crowd, to warriors that quivered at her icy glare. "It may sound like a cakewalk and everything, but this is war! This is going to be a bloodbath, like it or not! Mount Weather is fighting defense, which means they automatically have a strategic advantage on their end. This is our plan. This is our present. The 'then' doesn't exist now!"

Again no one spoke, this time fearing their life. A cold feeling swept over the room for a moment or two before Lexa intervened, attempting to tie the loose ends with their people, who looked nervous enough against Alessia's harsh words.

"The mountain has cast a shadow over these woods for too long," the Commander began slowly as she stepped forward and stared down her subjects. "They've hunted us, controlled us, turned us into monsters. That ends today. Thanks to our alliance with the Sky People, the mountain will fall! As Alessia said, we spare the innocent...and as for the guilty..._jus drein jus daun_!"

Like an epidemic, the phrase spread fast. The warriors first, with Lexa's aid, then many of the guards from the Ark, and soon, the rest of the Grounder army outside of the tent eager for their turn in the bloodbath. Alessia looked around, deliberating whether or not she actually agreed with what they were saying. _Blood must have blood. _Did she believe that? Did she believe the Mountain Men deserved to pay with their lives for what they have done?

It didn't matter. Before she could do anything, she heard Clarke beside her chanting it as if she'd been saying it for her entire life. Clarke barely noticed Alessia's confused, and somewhat judgmental expression, as the blonde was too busy writhing in her hatred. It was then that Alessia knew she had a choice. She could be the responsible one and stay level-headed in the wake of Clarke's absence, or she could give into that darkness that plagued her, too. The darkness that she was born with.

She didn't say a word. All Alessia did was listen to the crowd cheer around her and fought the urge to scream it on the top of her lungs. Jus drein jus daun.

* * *

The crowd watched in agony as Monroe painstakingly drilled into the iron door at the front of Mount Weather. The poor teenager could feel the eyes of her fellow warriors as she hurriedly tried to speed up the process for everyone's sake. They were all on edge. Were they to blame for that? Of course not. The threat of war was drawing nearer and nearer as the seconds ticked away, as the drill went further and further into the door. Finally, a while later, Monroe finally stepped away from the door and pulled the drill out with a nod.

"That should do it," she announced while turning back at the crowd. "Bombs away."

Miller, who had volunteered to place the hydrazine into the hole in the door, looked back at Clarke, who nodded her head at him reassuringly.

"Be careful," the blonde reminded him cautiously as the grown soldier stepped forward, Lincoln trailing closely behind him for protection. Lexa turned to her men standing farther away from the rest of the people.

"Archers, watch the trees!" the Commander said sternly. Alessia looked over to see Takeo standing with that crowd, and she had to admit that it was strange to see him stand so tall with his bow cocked in the air. She had been used to him around her, around her people, that she had forgotten his roots. Perhaps she'd gotten too comfortable, believing that he was like Lincoln, a sympathizer. After everything was over, after the dust settled over Mount Weather's defeat, would he take commands from his leader so effortlessly as he did then if it were against her?

She turned back to Sergeant Miller and Lincoln at the main door and shook it off. The future didn't exist yet, she had no right to think about it.

"He's scared," Clarke muttered under her breath to Alessia as they watched Miller's hands shake with the hydrazine situated in them.

"Aren't we all?" Alessia retorted. Up at the door, Lincoln spotted Miller's trembling fingers and reached forward to clamp down a steady hand on his arm. The Guard looked up with a surprised expression, one that needed sympathy to continue. Lincoln gave him a confident look.

"Hey. You can do this."

"What if we're too late?"

"What if we're not?" Lincoln pressed, and then stepped closer to lower his voice. He knew that the Grounders around him weren't satisfied with the delay, nor appreciated Lincoln's involvement with the Sky Person next to him. After everything, he'd learned to ignore it. "Draw strength from your son."

Miller seemed to notice the hurt in Lincoln's eyes. The pain that yearned for closure after everything he'd been through. The Guard frowned. "This mountain has taken too much from both of us, hasn't it?"

Lincoln squared his jaw, but he didn't have to say anything. He only gave the Sergeant in front of him a small nod in agreement before the brave man reached forward and slid the hydrazine bomb into the slot made by Monroe. Once the bomb was in place, his fingers moved to the button on the part sticking out of the hole and unflinchingly pressed it, setting the hydrazine for the remote's command.

Alessia let out a relieved breath. "Good. Nice work, Sergeant." She looked at the Ark soldiers beside her, the Guards that reluctantly took her authority despite the fact that they were loyal to the one and only Marcus Kane. "Alright, everyone! Positions, please. I want safeties off and eyes alert. Remember to think quickly, but act sharply. Do you understand?"

There was a resounding yes, a much better response from her people than the earlier meeting. Maybe it was the fact that they were merely hours away from ending their battle. The soldiers all fell behind her and Lexa's warriors followed into their own positions. Alessia took the safety off her own weapon and checked the magazine for bullets, and then her waistband for the backups she kept. As she fiddled with the gun in her hands, Clarke watched intently before finally speaking.

"You were made for this, you know." Alessia turned her head to look up at her friend, who stood with a stern look on her face. The air between them grew stale before Clarke added, "I know you don't like to think so, but I don't think you can fight it anymore. You were born to lead, Alessia."

Alessia took a few moments to respond. She looked at Clarke and couldn't find words. She tried to locate that point in time where she stopped being able to talk to her own best friend so easily, but she came up empty. Was it before or after Clarke had left everyone to die in Tondc while saving her own ass? Was it before or after Clarke sent Bellamy off to Mount Weather and risked his life? Was it before or after Clarke killed Finn just so that they could have temporary peace with the enemy? Was it before or after Clarke assumed control of everyone and everything and then left the hard decisions for Alessia to figure out?

It didn't matter when it happened. All that matters was that it did.

"Go float yourself, Clarke." Alessia hissed before loading her gun back up and removing her eyes from the blonde beside her to stay on task.

Nightfall came faster than expected, but there was still no sign that the power had gone out and that the door was unlocked. Clarke paced, but everyone else stayed completely still. Mostly everyone was silent. After a while, however, there was the distinct sound of gunshots firing off in the distance. The three women leaders in the front of the group immediately tensed up and looked off into the night in desperation to know what was happening. Lincoln emerged from the crowd and came up between Alessia and Clarke.

"It's coming from the dam."

"They know we're going for the power," Clarke breathed.

"They know we're going for the door!" Lexa corrected. Alessia turned to Lincoln beside her and shook her head.

"No one leaves here, got it? Raven can handle it on her own. If we lose warriors, that means we're less prepared. No one leaves."

Lincoln nodded to her, then turned to the crowd and relayed the orders. As he did, Alessia could hear Miller turn to Clarke with a sense of pure urgency in his voice.

"As soon as those lights go off, you push that button."

"We'll do the rest," someone else added, and when Alessia turned her head, she could see Takeo come up right beside her with a thorough nod and a badass bow and arrow in his hand. She smiled softly.

"Damn right we will," Alessia agreed under her breath, barely audible to anyone else but those standing around her. Clarke stared up at her friend, even though the brunette did not look back at her. She looked down at the button in her hand in a panic. She couldn't explain how much she wanted the Mountain Men to fall, but she also didn't know if she had the strength in her. She needed to find it—fast.

Not long after they had the conversation did everyone hear a click up ahead, and they knew instantly that the door was unlocked. Clarke's breath hitched as she rejoiced.

"She did it!"

"One minute, starting now," Miller informed them. Clarke looked down at the button in her hand and turned to Lexa beside her. Meanwhile, Alessia stood in front of the door with her finger on the trigger, growing impatient by the second.

"For those we've lost," Clarke said softly to the Commander, who caught her gaze. Swiftly, Lexa grabbed Clarke's hand with the remote in it and nodded.

"And those we'll soon find."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, push the damn button already or I'll do it for you!" Alessia snapped angrily, conscious to move her finger from the trigger because she could feel herself heating up inside. Clarke and Lexa immediately pressed down on the remote, but even though the remote beeped, there was no explosion. The two of them pressed it over and over again, but nothing happened.

"What's wrong? Why isn't it working?!" Lexa demanded.

"They're jamming us! I have to get closer," Clarke realized as she darted away from Lexa and ran towards the door. As soon as she was out in sight, there were at least fifty shots fired at her, and once they were launched into the air, they were reeling. Alessia darted forward and yanked Clarke back from the open fire and shoved her behind rock they used as a shield. She could see Clarke's wild look, but paid no mind to it. Lexa yelled out an order to her men, who tried to retaliate against the shooters, but were no match. Alessia turned around and shouted at the gunmen that tried to fire back.

"Don't you dare waste those bullets! I'm telling you right now not to fire unless your target is standing in front of your face!" she screamed at the top of her lungs so everyone would hear her. The shooters stood down, as told, and she turned back to figure out a plan, Miller came up beside her.

"If I can get there, I can trigger it manually."

"I know, but you can't get there! There must be at least 15 snipers out of range! "

"For Nate, I have to try!" he replied sternly, and Alessia looked into the crazy eyes of a desperate father, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop him even if she didn't allow it. With a nod, Alessia looked over at Lexa, who understood immediately what she wanted. She told her men to shield the Sergeant and take him to the door, so without delay, four grounders surrounded the crouched-over soldier with rusted metal sheets to shield them from the bullets. Alessia could hear Clarke's countdown beside her.

"Thirty seconds."

The snipers in the distance were relentless, firing off at the moving block of metal as it neared the door. There were too many bullets, but all they had to do was get a few more feet. But unfortunately, a bullet ricocheted off the metal shield in front of them and hit a Grounder's foot, causing the whole shield wall to fall apart almost simultaneously. Eventually, Miller was left, and he too was shot in the following seconds.

Clarke's breathing was heavy as she realized their time was running out. Lexa could see her panic.

"We'll find another way in," she tried.

"There is no other way in. You know that!"

"We're going through that goddamn door!" Alessia shouted at the two of them, causing everyone to look over at her as she formulated a plan. As soon as she was given the attention from those around her, she put her gun on the ground next to her and beckoned at Takeo. "Your bow and arrow. Now!"

He wasted no time in handing it over to her. She took the arrow and extended it out to Lincoln, on the other side of her, because he was holding a torch. She lit the tip of the arrow on fire and took in a deep breath. Clarke's eyes widened and Alessia's ears started to ring, blocking out the sounds of the chaos around her. She could hear Clarke's voice, but it was distant.

"Ten seconds."

She whipped herself around swiftly into position, the flaming arrow at the tip of her bow ready to be launched. Alessia let her hand touch the side of her mouth slightly and she straightened her shoulders.

"Five seconds!"

_You are Alessia Kane. You can do this._

Four.

Three.

Two.

She let the arrow go, and it went straight for the hydrazine bomb, blowing up on instant impact. When Clarke and Lexa came back up for air and witnessed the aftermath of the explosion, the two of them smiled.

"It worked!" Clarke announced happily. Alessia's hands trembled as she slid back behind the rock, her eyes wide as those loyal to Marcus Kane eyed her with a new foundation. Her pupils drifted up to meet Takeo's proud look.

"You are Robin Hood after all, Skaigada."

"We need to get to that ridge and take out the shooters," Lexa planned, bringing everyone back to reality in the wake of their victory. Lincoln moved to go with her, but before he could even get a step away from them, she dragged him down by his collar and shouted. "NO! You stay with Clarke. When the shooting stops, you get that door open! Takeo, miya [_come_]!"

Alessia tossed Takeo back his bow and arrow and nodded to him. "Be careful out there."

He heeded her warning seriously before taking off with Lexa, crouching down to avoid the gunfire above. Many of the Grounder soldiers followed her out, leaving them with most of the Ark soldiers and some of the other Grounders. A long while passed before the gunfire finally stopped altogether, and as a precaution, Lincoln slowly began to crouch out from behind the rock to test the waters. When there was no fire, he sighed in relief.

"Lexa did it," he relayed, causing everyone to slowly lift out from underneath their shields. Monroe looked right in front of the door to see Sergeant Miller stirring from on the floor, wounded but not dead.

"Clarke, look!" Monroe exclaimed as she rushed forward to help Miller.

"Make sure he's okay," Clarke told her as Monroe tossed the metal shields aside and lifted Miller out of the pile of dead bodies on top of him. Alessia grabbed her gun again and positioned it on her person.

"This is it. They'll be waiting as soon as we open that door."

"Good," Lincoln replied as he turned his shoulder and shouted to his people, "Mafta ai op! Tu tayon! Ge yo ogud na pul klin! [_Follow me! Two lines! Get ready to pull!_]"

As a group of warriors rushed forward and tied ropes to the handle so that they could pry the heavy door open, Alessia turned her own head over her shoulder and commanded the soldiers on her team.

"Aim your fire for the door and do not stray off the mark! The goal is to take as many of them out at once without them being able to react."

As the soldiers all readied their weapons at the door, the warriors in front of them struggled to pry the solid iron away from its frame. But, finally, the strength of all the men pulling at the door allowed them access, a small light gleaming from inside the crack they'd formed. As the warriors continued to pull, the warriors behind Alessia and Clarke cheered.

"Attack! Now!" Clarke shouted at the Grounders behind her, but right as they moved forward as commanded by their interim leader, Lexa's voice rang out in the distance.

"Chil yo daun [_Stand down_]!" Not a single Grounder moved, and when Lexa emerged from the forest with Carl Emerson by her side, along with many more Mountain Men and the warriors she had taken to defeat them, Clarke knew there was something wrong. She stepped forward to meet Lexa halfway, a burning fire in her eyes as a pit in her stomach told her there was something wrong.

"What is this?" Clarke demanded, just as someone shouted in the crowd to look towards the door because people were coming out. When Clarke turned her head, she saw the imprisoned Grounders from the Harvest Chamber being released, limping out into the cold. She turned back to Lexa. "They're surrendering?"

"Not quite," Emerson answered. Clarke threw him a look of confusion, but it was when Lexa did not say anything that she knew what was going on. All of the prisoners that were being freed were not Sky People, they were Grounders.

Her voice was soft, almost broken. "What did you do?"

"What you would have done. Saved my people."

Clarke's stomach dropped so low she was sure she'd lost it by then. Everything inside of her felt sick as she asked the question she already knew the answer to. "Where are _my_ people?"

Lexa stared at the blonde in front of her with undeniable coldness. "Sorry, Clarke. They weren't part of the deal."

"You made the right choice, Commander," Emerson praised the Grounder beside him as he stepped away, leisurely moving towards the door as the Grounder prisoners all flowed out in a single file line. As he moved out, Lincoln and Alessia stepped forward.

"What is this?" Lincoln asked, confused. Clarke's eyes began to water.

"Your Commander's made a deal."

The second Alessia heard the words, her shoulders stiffened. Lincoln looked over at Lexa and shook his head. "What about the prisoners from the Ark?"

Clarke and Lexa did not once remove her eyes once from Clarke's, and Clarke did not remove hers from Lexa's as she choked out, "They'll all be killed. But you don't care about that, do you?"

"I do care, Clarke! But I made this choice with my head and not my heart. The duty to protect my people comes first."

Alessia had to turn her head. She could feel the anger rising inside of her and she didn't realize how strong it could really be. She listened painfully as the conversation continued.

"Please don't do this," Clarke begged.

"I'm sorry, Clarke."

"Commander, not like this! Let us fight," Lincoln requested. Lexa did not flinch.

"No, the deal is done." Alessia's head snapped up as she heard the door behind them close, completely sealing themselves out of Mount Weather for good. Lexa turned to her warrior behind her.

"Teik oso rowenes laud [_Sound the retreat_]." The warrior obliged, blowing into the horn that let all of the Grounders around them know that it was time to fall back.

As the horn blew loudly in front of her, Alessia couldn't hold it together anymore. In a split moment, she snapped. Her hands couldn't help themselves as she whipped up her gun into her hands and stepped forward, pressing the barrel right to Lexa's head with her hand on the trigger. Lexa inhaled sharply, but did not move.

"You bitch," she whispered softly, the rage in her eyes unstoppable. "You will not do this. You will not leave my people inside of there, you will call off that retreat and you will help us fight this _now_!" Her voice got increasingly more firm, never once cracking under the pressure. Lexa, too, stood unmoving. "Or, so help me God, I will put a bullet through your skull and _then _you'll have something to be sorry about."

"You won't kill me," Lexa said calmly, for Alessia only to respond by pressing the barrel to her head harder. "If you do, you will die. My people won't let you live."

"I don't give a flying fuck! You will do as I say!" she shouted, causing everyone around them to instantly freeze. Lexa watched as her enemy's eyes grew wild. "I will kill you to get into that mountain if I have to."

"No, you won't. You are a warrior, Commander Kane, but you are not stupid. Killing me wouldn't help you."

"No, but it would sure as hell make me feel better!"

"You are not a murderer. You and I both know that."

"I can be," she hissed immediately, a seriousness in her tone that she would never forget escaped her. Lexa didn't say anything, and Alessia didn't move. She could feel her finger heavy on the trigger and thought about how easy it would be to pull it. At that point, she couldn't see straight anymore. If she didn't get into that mountain, everyone would die. Jasper, Monty, Miller, Harper, Bellamy_. _

No one spoke for minutes, but finally, Alessia lifted the gun from Lexa's forehead and stepped back, squaring her jaw tightly to prevent herself from throwing a punch or actually killing someone. Blind rage consumed her, but Lexa was right. Killing her wouldn't help anything. When Alessia had turned away, Lexa let out a relieved breath and turned to Lincoln beside Clarke.

"All of our people withdraw. Those were the terms. Let's go, Lincoln."

"They'll be slaughtered," Lincoln reasoned. "Let me help them."

Lexa would not hear it. Without turning her head, she commanded the people behind her to take Lincoln from his place, but as they dragged him away, Lincoln tried to fight back. He nearly got away with it, but three more Grounders came up behind him and kicked him into submission. Clarke looked down at him with tears falling down her face, and then she looked back up at Lexa, who looked completely undisturbed.

"May we meet again."

And just like that, Lexa and the remaining Grounders disappeared into the night.

* * *

"Clarke, let's go," the blonde heard from behind her. It was Sergeant Miller trying to get her attention. "We'll come back with reinforcements."

Clarke didn't turn around. She stood facing the door, her entire body feeling as if it were a complete void. Even though she thought she made it clear she wasn't leaving with them, she could hear Monroe behind her try again.

"Clarke? Clarke, come on." Finally she turned around to face the teenager behind her, who looked at Clarke with sad, defeated eyes. "It's over. I'm sorry."

Monroe turned on her heel and disappeared into the woods with the rest of the soldiers, but Clarke still did not follow them. She turned back to the door with intent and just whispered underneath her breath, "It can't be over."

She stood staring at the door that haunted her for moments on end, feeling as if it were eternity. Then, she heard the _click _of a gun being reloaded behind her, and when she threw a look over her shoulder, she found Alessia with a look just as stern and intent as hers, only maybe angrier.

"Like hell it is." Alessia's eyes caught Clarke's in the darkness. "We're getting in that mountain, Clarke. We're getting our people back. And I don't care who has to die for it to happen."

They both looked at each other, the intention clear. And although it was pitch-black outside, Clarke could clearly see that the darkness that filled her eyes filled Alessia's, too.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**** In case any of you are wondering, do you remember how I said I would write an AU Bellessia fanfic? WELL IT'S HAPPENING! As a "thank you" of sorts for all the continued support for this story, I have written a 10 chapter + epilogue story that will be published as soon as the next chapter of this story is up! It will be updated on a regular schedule because I have prewritten the chapters! **

**So look out for another note at the bottom of the page on the next chapter! I hope all of you will enjoy more Bellessia wonderfulness :)**

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**caymanislands: **Thanks so much! Here's the chapter!

**RHatch89: **Thank you :)

**GraceTM86: **Aw thanks! Here's the update! THE REUNION IS COMING I'M EXCITED!

**Pluv143000: **Thank you! Yeah, last chapter was sort of the last bit of sanity that she had holding on...but then this chapter happened and she's lost pretty much all sanity at this point. Takeo and Alessia's friendship is very dear to me, and we'll be exploring it more in Season 3 so I'm really excited about it. Aw yeah, that scene was cute. I tried to not make it overdone, and I don't think I did but eh, at that point I really just needed both of them to have something to hold on to. Lol that's fine :) Here's the chapter! Oh, and I liked Season 3 as a whole and I liked the ending and I have some BIG plans for it so I'm super excited! Only 1 more chapter until we get to it!

**xXEndlessImaginationXx: **Aw thank you so much! Here's another update!

**Guest: **Thank you! Bellessia is everything lol. Yes, oh my God I'm so excited for that to come to play, but I don't think they're actually going to find out until Season 4, being separated from their parents for so long. I do think there may be a scene where Alessia finds out Kane and Abby kissed and it's gonna be a weird time. On one hand, she and Clarke will be happy for their parents but on the other hand...it's weird, needless to say. I'm excited for that to come in though, so we'll see what happens! Thanks for the review! Here's the chapter.

**Give me my love: **Aw I'm gad. Thank you! Aw, yeah their conversation was sooo cute but everything kind of goes to crap next chapter so I needed to make sure everyone had a bit of Bellessia cuteness before the dark stuff comes up. The reunion is up next! I'm soo excited for it because it's gonna be amazing (hopefully lol). Yeah like I said, I love Takeo and Alessia's friendship, and we'll get to explore it a little more next season. Oh, Alessia reacted when Lexa abandoned them lol she was PISSED and she's not gonna get over it any time soon. Aw that's so sweet lol thank you! Don't worry about the mistakes, I can understand you perfectly and even if I can't, I'll make do :) Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**Samantha: **No problem, and thanks so much. It is going to be sooo hectic but it's gonna be worth it. Aw that's so sweet. I hope you do enjoy it! Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter!

**Bee-back: **Thank you! Haha it's fine. Badass Alessia is my favorite, but we may have to take a break from her for a while :( Mount Weather's dealings is going to have its toll on her. Haha I'm glad you liked the Bellessia scene! Thanks for the review!

**Guest: **Aw no you're fine. Thank you! They're gonna get...some happiness eventually haha Season 3 is gonna be one big mess for them, but they'll always get through it. Yes, I feel the same way, and Calix will be moving on soon (after all, she chose Bellamy so he really doesn't have anything else to hold onto anymore). Season 3 was so great but yes, I think what happened to Lincoln was soo unfair! Yet, like with what happened with Finn, I can't bring myself to change the situation because it ties in with so many other things that our lovely characters have to confront. Haha "darkness" is putting it lightly. I really did enjoy Season 3 though and I'm so excited to start it! Thanks so much! Here's the update!

**Samantha:** Well she's definitely turned super dark in this chapter and will also be very reckless in the next, but as for Season 3, she has a lot of emotional problems that she will have to deal with, so a "dark" Alessia will be hard to see. But I think everyone will be satisfied with the way that Season 3 goes, even though it'll be a little rocky at the beginning. Thanks for reviewing!

**RandomFandoming: **Crystal Reed is a lovely actress (as is Adelaide Kane) but actually I had Alessia pegged as Shelley Hennig from Teen Wolf as well and also The Secret Circle. But Crystal Reed is a good choice too :) Thanks for reviewing!

**RandomFandoming: **I never wanted him dead either and it made me so sad ugh. Thanks for review :)

**Audrie-13: **Don't worry about it. I'm sorry that things are going rough for you, if you need to talk about it, feel free to PM me. Aw, I'm really glad! Here's another chapter for you, hopefully not too late to make you feel better. Thanks for reviewing!


	29. Blood Must Have Blood: Part 2

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Blood Must Have Blood**

**Part 2**

Alessia and Clarke walked urgently into the Reaper caves, both of them on high alert for any stray killers that could come their way. At an unusually brisk pace, Alessia quickly strode with the firearm in her hand, one finger placed precisely on the trigger. Clarke, however, kept her weapon concealed as they made their way to find the door that let them enter the Mountain. She couldn't help her panic, the air around them getting caught in her lungs over and over again as she tried to breathe evenly but continued to fail. Alessia, on the other hand, kept a blank face and a mean stare as they continued down the dark corridor.

"What's the plan?" asked Clarke. She was struggling to keep up with her friend's pace, but made do. Alessia didn't even turn her head.

"The plan? The plan is to go in there and do whatever it takes to get our people back, Clarke. No more rules."

"We can't kill _everyone_. There are people in there that have helped us...innocent children—"

"I didn't say we go in there and slaughter everyone without batting an eye. I said we go in there and do what it takes. If that happens to be killing everyone to get everyone back...well, I suggest you come up with a better plan before it comes to that."

Clarke studied Alessia with extreme caution as they came to rounding the corner they'd first encountered on their escape from Mount Weather. It seemed like ages ago, like another life. It felt like it had been decades since she and Alessia had been sitting on the beds in Mount Weather talking about their boy issues, and now look where they were: about to eradicate everyone if they didn't get their people back from those that claimed to be their friends.

Suddenly, halfway through rounding the dark corner, Alessia stopped Clarke short and cocked her gun so fast that Clarke barely saw it happen. Just as Alessia was about to pull the trigger, the figure in the darkness that had caused her split reaction had a familiar face.

"Jesus Christ." Alessia lowered her gun to her side and scowled. "Octavia, what are you still doing here?"

"You stayed!" Clarke stepped forward, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Octavia opened her mouth to respond to Alessia, but when Clarke had felt the need to step in with a comment, she shut her mouth into a tight, thin line and turned away.

"Screw you." She turned back at Clarke with a vicious look. "Of course I stayed! I know where my loyalties lie."

Alessia rolled her eyes as Octavia stepped forward with a bone to pick with their dear blonde friend. She brushed past Octavia and Clarke's girl fight and stepped closer to the door.

"I don't know about you two, but when you're done, we've got to figure out a way to get in that door."

"If that was possible, do you think I'd still be out here?" Octavia proposed right as Alessia stopped cold in her tracks as she came up to a cart underneath the harvest chamber shoot that she, Clarke, and Anya had come through. In the cart, as opposed to being empty because all of the Grounder prisoners had been released, there was a girl inside. One of the 100.

"Fox," Clarke murmured under her breath as she stepped forward to see who it was inside. Alessia could feel her stomach churn as Octavia pushed forward.

"Why did Lexa sound the retreat?"

"Because she's a good for nothing bitch," Alessia grumbled. Clarke's eyes dropped to the floor as she turned away from Octavia, who was expecting a real answer. When the blonde realized she wouldn't get away with skirting the truth for Octavia, she had no other choice but to tell the truth, no matter how much it hurt her.

"She made a deal with Mount Weather. Freed the Grounders. Now we're on our own." Clarke stomped over to the door leading into the Harvest chamber and banged her fist on it so hard, whoever was inside was bound to hear it. Alessia's eyes widened as she looked to Clarke and Octavia rushed forward, yanking Clarke's hand back.

"Stop! They'll know we're here!" Clarke's breathing increased dramatically as she stepped away from the door and tried to think. Meanwhile, Octavia interrogated her further. "What about Lincoln? There's no way he would've gone along with a plan like this."

"He didn't. They took him."

Before Octavia could ask any more questions, Clarke and Octavia both heard Alessia put her gun over her shoulder and point the barrel at the keypad at the door. Octavia launched her body in front of the gun, knowing Alessia wouldn't pull the trigger.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Alessia?"

"Get out of my way, Octavia. I'm getting through that door," she said calmly. Octavia scowled at her, so Alessia shrugged. "Fine. Don't get out of my way. I can hit it even if you're in front of me, it'll just take a bit more effort."

"You're acting crazy! This is your plan?"

"Yes! Does anyone have a better one? No? Okay, then—"

"Alessia, stop." Clarke earned her attention, and Alessia and Octavia both turned their heads to the teenager beside them, who was pacing and hyperventilating at the same time. "L-Let me...let me figure this out."

"What's to figure out? Dead keypad, open door!"

"You don't know that," Octavia reasoned to the brunette in front of her. Frustrated, Alessia put her gun down and looked over at Clarke angrily.

"Come on, Clarke! You wanted to be a leader, so lead! We need a plan and we need it now."

"I'm trying!"

"Bellamy's counting on you." Octavia walked over to Clarke with furious eyes. "Everyone's always counting on _you_!"

"Well, what do you want from me?!" the blonde screamed. If no one had heard her banging on the door before, they sure as hell did now.

"You trusted Lexa. You let a bomb drop on Tondc. You let all those people—" Octavia berated, stepping closer and closer to Clarke as she said the nasty words that dripped with venom from her lips. Clarke looked back at her with wild eyes about ready to burst into tears.

"I am doing the best I can!" she replied, trying to hold herself together.

Octavia and Clarke stared at each other with a broken bond, and finally Alessia broke the silence beside them by putting her gun back on her shoulder and lowering her head to look through the lens so she could shoot.

"It's not good enough, Clarke," Alessia muttered as she readied her finger on the trigger to shoot. Right as she nearly pulled the easy trigger at her fingertips, there was a beep from the door, and instead of pointing her gun at the keypad, she moved it quickly to the door. Her finger was too fast on the trigger to stop, but luckily she was so caught off guard that the bullet only hit the frame of the door as she recognized who it was.

"Bellamy?" Octavia exclaimed, and without wasting a second, she rushed into her brother's arms as he lowered his own gun in his hand. He was taken by surprise as Octavia clutched him close, and looking into the darkness of the caves, he saw Alessia and Clarke standing behind Octavia, both with surprised and relieved expressions on their faces. Clarke's eyes were torn away when Monty jumped into her arms, taking her by surprise as well. She felt herself smile, something that she thought wouldn't happen again. She could still feel the pain from only a few hours before when Lexa had betrayed her, but it was nice to have her friends back. Still, she knew it wasn't over quite yet.

When Octavia released her brother to go over to Jasper, he put his gun into his holster and walked over to Alessia, who lowered her weapon cautiously.

"I'm sorry, I thought—" She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. He ignored her entirely by reaching out and pulling her closer to him. If they didn't hear the 'tick, tock' of war around them, the kiss would've been a lot more enjoyable, but just as meaningful. Barely anyone around them noticed as Bellamy pulled away after a second and a half with a hard breath.

"I just...needed that."

Alessia scoffed. "You and me both."

"Where's your army?"

"Halfway up the hill in the opposite direction right now. We got screwed over, Bellamy. It's just us now, and we need a plan. Fast."

He nodded and stepped away a few inches, noticing Clarke coming up right beside them. Bellamy made sure he faced both her and Alessia as he sighed. "We need to talk to Dante. Maya said he's in quarantine."

Clarke opened her mouth to say something, but as she did, she heard Jasper behind her as he ran around.

"Robin Hood!" Jasper exclaimed at the same time Monty said, "Alessia!" The two scrawny teenagers came up and hugged Alessia so tightly that they could feel the tension in her shoulders. Bellamy snickered to himself as he watched the sour expression on Alessia's face as she coughed.

"Okay. Okay. Enough hugging now." She slowly peeled them off of her and patted their backs as a sign of her affection. She never really did like to hug people, but she could make an exception for them. She could see Maya standing behind Bellamy in a blue hazmat suit for her oxygen, admiring the sight. Just as Jasper and Monty stepped back, there was a quiet beeping sound from her suit. Jasper spun around quickly and rushed over to her, his eyes wide when he reached behind her to check the oxygen supply.

"Thirty minutes," he whispered to himself and looked up at Maya. "We just changed it. That can't be right!" He turned around at the rest of them. "Um...this is her last tank."

Clarke stepped forward with a nod. "We'll find you another one."

Maya shook her head. "All supplemental oxygen is on Level Five."

"Then we have to get you to Level Five," Jasper reasoned.

"Five isn't safe for any of us!"

"We'll take the trash chute again. It'll work."

"To get in, maybe," Bellamy added sourly from behind them. Everyone turned to look at him as he made serious eye contact with them all. "But Maya's right, every soldier in this mountain is there. We'll never make it out."

"We can do this," Jasper hissed. "We'll split up."

"Okay. You guys go for Dante," Octavia agreed, looking at Clarke, Bellamy, Alessia, and Monty. She turned to Jasper. "We'll help Maya."

No one objected to the plan, and so Octavia moved forward as she lifted her sword from behind her back and walked through the door. Jasper and Maya followed, and soon, Bellamy closed the door on all of them so they could end their mess once and for all.

* * *

Takeo watched with arms crossed over his chest as their Commander ordered her warriors to set up camp for the night. She specifically directed them to making sure the Grounder prisoners were taken well care of until they could finally get back to their villages and clean up. All of the warriors departed to do their duties, but Takeo couldn't help but feel like what they were doing was wrong. He stood his ground, and when the Commander noticed, she walked over to him cautiously.

"Takeo," Lexa said in a soft tone, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear them speak. "Did you not hear me?"

"I heard you." Lexa watched him as he stood silently for a moment or two and finally uncrossed his arms with a defeated sigh. "Forgive me, Commander, but...but this is wrong. What you did to the Sky People was wrong."

"What I did to the Sky People is not for you to judge. It was a decision made by your Commander and you will follow it."

"Alessia and Clarke need help. It is not fair for—"

"No one said it was fair. No one said it was right. But it was my decision and it was mine alone and you will not challenge it until you are sure you want to face the consequences." Lexa tensed and gave her warrior a stern look in his eyes. Takeo squared his jaw as he thought of what to do, and Lexa stepped forward cautiously. "Do you not know where your loyalties lie, Takeo? Do they lie with the Kane girl you've been making friends with or do they lie with your _people_? The people that you swore an oath to protect? The people that have been your family for centuries? Are you willing to throw away your family for your _Skaigada?" _

She said the words with such harshness that he would have flinched had he not been so used to the Commander's rough attitude. He knew that he was even more on edge because of what she did to the Sky People's leader, and no matter how she tried to cover it, he knew that their Heda was feeling just as guilty for leaving them behind as he did.

Regardless of the guilt he felt, Lexa was right. She knew it, too, as she simply brushed past Takeo and let him stand in his own sinking pile of guilt. He would not choose a Sky Girl over his crew. He would not defy his Commander to help their enemy, no matter his feelings. He could see ahead of him the real sympathizer, Lincoln, who sat tied to a tree with a look of disdain on his face that expressed not only guilt but concern. Lincoln was a traitor to their people, he was that person that defied their Commander because of a single girl.

Takeo would not be that person. He straightened himself and turned away to set up camp for the night without another word.

* * *

The melodic sound of classical music played softly in his ears as Cage Wallace walked around Level Five of his Mountain, observing the people he would go above and beyond to protect. He wore a grin from ear to ear on his face, smiling about his recent victories. Not only did he get Lexa to turn on Clarke and subsequently ruined the Sky People's chances to eradicate them, he was assured earlier that there was a team at Camp Jaha rounding up Arkers to bring back so they could give every man and woman in Mount Weather the opportunity to live above ground for the rest of their lives. He smiled proudly at his people knowing that he had done them right.

"Sir, Lieutenant Emerson is back. You're needed in the dorm," one of his guards informed him in a hushed tone so none of the others could hear him. Cage nodded respectfully and followed his guard's request to where the Arkers were being harvested. Upon entering, he looked around at the several teenagers around him that had been captured running about in their mountain. Seeing Lieutenant Emerson in the corner, he walked over to his blood-soaked soldier.

"Did we take any losses?" Cage inquired. Emerson inhaled sharply.

"Not as many as they did, Sir. But I'm afraid I'm the only one left who's been cured." Cage looked around and noticed quickly that none of his other accomplices that had the bone marrow transplant were standing beside them. What a shame. "Some of the kids are still missing. If you'd like, I'll take a...team in hazmats. We'll sweep the other levels."

"No." Cage shook his head as he looked around him, realizing that they had more than enough people to start implanting. "No more wasted lives. In 48 hours, we will all be on the ground." Cage turned to the guards standing behind those that had been recently brought in with the group, and he gestured quickly to them. "Take off their hoods."

One by one, the hoods of the captured were taken off.

The first was Zoe Monroe.

The second was David Miller. His son, who stood not even twenty feet from him, yanked at his chains with wide eyes.

"Dad?!"

"Nate!" Sergeant Miller shouted as he tried to lift himself up from his knees and make his way over to his boy. Of course, the guards behind him had the advantage, and quickly knocked Sergeant Miller on his head without batting an eye. Nate shouted curse words at the soldiers, but they didn't care. They moved on.

The third was Marcus Kane, who looked around with confused and alarmed eyes as he watched the end of the scene transpire between Sergeant Miller and his son. He looked up to find Mount Weather's soldiers standing above him and quickly noticed the other Arkers in the room chained to the walls. In front of him, he could see Calix limply hanging from a pair of chains. Their eyes locked, but there was nothing but lifeless in the man's eyes in front of him. Kane swallowed thickly at the sight.

The fourth and final captive was Abigail Griffin, and once Marcus realized this from beside her, the panic started to set in. Of course, that wasn't even the beginning. Noticing Abby's eyes had transfixed on one thing, Marcus moved his own pupils to look to where she had been staring and realized that one of their own was lying on the table in front of them while a doctor dressed in a lab coat stained with their blood moved a file of marrow across the room.

"What is wrong with you people?" Kane whispered quietly, though he'd intended to say it a lot different than it had come out.

Abby tore her eyes from the grotesque sight in front of them to look at Cage, who stood above her. In one snap, she hissed, "Where is my daughter?"

"She's talking about Clarke," Emerson clarified for Cage, who pressed his lips together and stepped forward cautiously. Abby eyed him with disgust as he bent down and shook his head.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this."

He said nothing else. He didn't say what it had come to, what he was sorry for. All he did was walk away, leaving Abby's heart lying on the floor wondering where the hell her daughter was and if she was okay.

* * *

Clarke knew the way to the quarantine room like she knew the back of her hand. She knew which one Dante would be in, and she was right. They entered her old room, a room with four bright white walls that washed out anyone and everything. The only catch was that Dante, being the former President of Mount Weather, had the luxury of his many beautiful color-popping paintings on the wall, almost mocking him of the past. As much as Alessia wanted to make a snide comment, she kept them to herself. Everyone was dead silent upon entering Dante's room, and even he did not speak until everyone was settled into their place on the floor.

"Hello, Clarke. Alessia." Dante stiffened at the sight of them, but his voice remained polite and brisk. Neither Alessia nor Clarke responded to him.

"Sir, we need your help again," Bellamy began, jumping right into what they came into the room for. There was no time to waste. Monty nodded from beside Clarke.

"It's okay. I took out the camera from the junction box in the hall. We can talk freely."

"No one's watching anyway. Thanks to you, they're all on Level Five."

"You're not," Clarke observed, her voice cold. Dante turned to her with a nod.

"No. I'm not."

"Please," Bellamy started again, brushing past Clarke and Dante's distant and indirect conversation. "We don't have much time. We need a way to get our people out of this mountain without killing everyone."

Dante turned to Bellamy and straightened, but said nothing. As the air in the room grew stale, Alessia let out a frustrated and curt scoff.

"Forget it. I knew he wouldn't help us. We'll have to figure out something else, let's go."

"No. He's going to help us," Clarke assured them, stepping forward cautiously. Dante narrowed his eyes at her.

"You cut the power, risking the lives of everyone in this mountain, my people! Even the ones who helped you."

The blonde walked closer until she was merely a few feet from Dante. She gave him a hard look with her broken eyes. "We knew they'd be safe on Level Five. We made sure not to destroy the turbines so you could repair them. We're the good guys here! Not you!"

"Tell me," Dante began in a low voice, unscathed by her words, "if we released your people and theirs, what would have happened to mine?"

"This is ridiculous! Not to mention a waste of our valuable time." Alessia walked over to Monty and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Monty, can you get us into the command center so we can see what's happening on Level Five?"

"No problem."

"Good. Bellamy, take him just in case some hazmats come down here looking for him and let's move for Christ's sake." With that said, she stormed out of the room with Monty at her side so they could make their way over to the command center. Clarke followed them out and Bellamy obliged Alessia's orders by rushing forward and grabbing Dante by the collar of his expensive shirt.

"You're gonna help us whether you like it or not," Bellamy hissed as he pushed the old man out of the corridor to follow with the rest of the crowd. Alessia rounded every corner with a gun hot in her hand, Clarke right behind her with the same idea. Bellamy kept an eye on Dante while still scanning their perimeter to make sure that there was no one in the darkness. After a while of the nonsense, Dante sighed.

"I told you, there's no one here," he pointed out as they came up to an empty hallway. Bellamy frowned.

"Sorry if we don't take your word for it."

"Why aren't you with your people on Level Five?" Clarke pressed as she struggled to keep up with Alessia's pace in front of her, per their usual.

"After what I've done, they can be free. I can't."

Everyone came to a slow as Monty started to mess around with the panel beside the door to let them inside without a key, since Bellamy's had been deactivated. Clarke stared up at Dante with curious eyes and watched him as he hung his head painfully and continued.

"Deliverance comes at a cost," he warned. "I bear it so they don't have to."

A silence washed over them, but Alessia scoffed as she scanned her eyes around the hallway and occasionally looked over at Monty to check on his progress. Clarke didn't bother to look at her as she mumbled, "Oh, how noble of you."

"It wasn't Cage," Bellamy realized, causing all eyes around him to turn and focus on his face as he pieced it together. He lowered his weapon and stepped closer to Dante with a hard look on his face. "It was your idea to make the deal with the Grounders."

Dante didn't have to say anything; all he did was nod.

"We're in! Got it." Monty exclaimed as they all heard a beep and watched him push open the door. Bellamy cut in front of him since he was the closest and scanned the room with his weapon quickly before anyone else stepped inside. When he realized there was no one else inside, he stepped back and straightened.

"It's clear. He was telling the truth." He reached behind him and grabbed Dante's arm to pull him into the room. Clarke, Alessia, and Monty followed, and almost immediately, Clarke had Monty working on getting the monitors up. It took him a few minutes, but finally, Monty pressed a button and the screens beside them buzzed to life.

"The command center's live," he announced. Everyone in the room looked up at the monitors to see the gruesome sight before them. In the dorms on Camera 60, they could see men in lab coats performing an extraction on unwilling donors strapped down to gurneys.

"Oh, my God," Clarke whispered as she stepped closer. Bellamy swallowed down the bile in his throat as he looked onto the screen and noticed something vaguely familiar about the girl on the table that was being forced down.

"Is that Raven?" he asked aloud, his voice soft yet urgent. On another camera up in the corner, Alessia stepped forward and squinted up at the screen, and when she saw who was on it, her eyes widened bigger than the size of the moon.

"Oh, no. No! My dad." She took a moment, and then turned to Clarke. "And Abby."

Bellamy reached behind him quickly and grabbed a radio from a cart. He turned back to Dante violently. "Tell them to stop! Now!"

Dante looked back at Bellamy with a blank stare. "I won't do that."

Clarke stared up at the screen as Alessia spun around sharply with a vengeful gleam in her eye directed right at Dante. He straightened upon seeing her glare and tried not to flinch as she shouted at him, "That's my father in there! Call it off, right now, or I swear, I'll—"

"Emerson," Clarke breathed out before turning around sharply and storming over to Bellamy. She yanked the radio out of his hands, stopping any and all conversations in the room as she pressed her finger on the intercom and spoke into the small walkie talkie. "Carl Emerson, Mount Weather security detail, come in."

There was an almost immediate response. _"Who is this?" _

"You know who it is. Give the radio to the President."

Clarke stared up at the screen and watched as Emerson hesitated for a moment before walking out of the mess hall to find Cage.

"They're moving," Bellamy announced. Monty nodded and his fingers began to tap at keys on the switchboard to command the center.

"Not a problem. I'll bring it on the main monitor."

They all turned to the side to the huge screen along one side of the room, and within seconds Camera 79 in Corridor 12 was displayed on the screen, showing a hesitant Cage Wallace pacing back and forth with the radio at his mouth.

_"This is President Wallace." _

"I have your father," Clarke threatened. "If you don't let my people go, I'll kill him."

_"How do I know you have him?" _

Clarke extended her hand over to Dante, who took the radio and quickly spat out, "Stay the course, Cage!"

On the monitor, Alessia watched as Cage's eyes enlarged at his father's immediate danger. He brought the radio back up to his lips with desperation in his voice.

_"You won't do it." _

"You don't know me very well." She watched Cage as he said nothing but merely stood in the corridor speechless. She turned away from the monitor feeling sick to her stomach, but had no other choice. "This ends now. Release my people!"

_"I can't do that." _

Clarke stood in a corner, the darkness around her filling up as if the sky was the limit. She could hear Dante's faint voice behind her, and it made her even more agitated than she already was with his son.

"It would mean the end of our people, Clarke."

Two seconds later, she turned around with the gun cocked in her hand, the barrel pointing right at Dante's head. Monty immediately lifted himself from his chair in shock and fright, Bellamy stiffened, and Alessia held her head up with a locked jaw a few steps behind and to the right of Dante as she watched Clarke's eyes go wild and crazy just a few feet away from them. Bellamy tried to reason with her.

"Clarke, we need him!"

"And I need his son to believe me." She held the radio up to her lips. "Don't make me do this."

There was another silence over the radio line, and Dante looked back at the monitor to see his son, who struggled with the decision he was forced to make. After a few painful moments passed by, Cage held the radio to his mouth and looked up at the camera he knew his father could see him in. With a shaking breath, he nodded.

"Dad, I'll take care of our people."

Suddenly, it became inherently clear for Dante. In the next few moments, he would die. He turned back to Clarke with a thick throat. "None of us has a choice here, Clarke."

Clarke's eyes swelled up with tears. "I didn't want this."

"Neither did I."

She gripped the gun tighter in her hands and pointed so hard she felt as if having the barrel pointed at the old man would do the job. She wanted to shut her eyes and have it be over when they opened, but she knew that wasn't how it worked. She forced her eyes to stay open as she looked into Dante's eyes with pure, cold hatred. The Mountain had taken everything she had; not only did it take Finn's life, but it took her own life with it, too. She was no longer that girl that stepped out of the drop ship with the hope for peace on Earth. She was no longer that girl that wanted a fair and just society.

"Clarke, you don't have to do this. You have a choice," Monty tried, and Clarke's hand shook as a result of it. Bellamy and Monty watched in anticipation as Clarke kept the gun upright, but they could tell she was wavering. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

It all happened in the span of two seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. A gunshot fired, but it wasn't from Clarke's gun. Clarke's face was just as confused as Dante's chest filled with blood from his bullet wound and he fell down to the ground, revealing Alessia who stood behind him with a freshly fired gun in the air. On the monitor, Cage flinched at the sound of his father's death, and in the command center, everyone stared at Alessia with a frightened look.

Then it dawned on Clarke. Mount Weather didn't just take _her _life; it took Alessia's, too.

No one moved. No one breathed. For a while, it was like everything was frozen in time. That was until Alessia stepped forward, over Dante's body, with not a tear in her eyes. Calmly, she took the radio out of Clarke's hand and cleared her throat before speaking into the radio.

"Remember me?" she whispered as she stepped aside, closer to the monitor. She watched Cage stiffen as he stifled the tears in his own eyes.

_"Alessia Kane." _

"The one and only." Her chest hurt, but she ignored it. "Now you're going to listen to me very carefully. I killed your father. Eventually, I'll kill you, too. But if you don't do as I say and let our people go, I will irradiate Level Five and kill everyone inside this mountain that is not immune to radiation. Is that clear?"

There was no response. They watched in the monitor as Cage stood at the edge of the corridor with one hand on the wall, bracing himself as he let it sink in that his father was dead. Alessia did nothing but watch him, and eventually, Clarke walked over to her side and slowly grabbed the radio back from her hand to speak into it.

"Look," Clarke said in the softest voice she could muster. "We don't want anyone else to die. Stop the drilling and we can talk. There must be a way to get us all out of this."

Cage didn't respond. They watched him as he called Emerson over, handed him the radio, and let him disappear down the corridor. It wasn't hard to guess what Cage ordered him to do.

"Emerson's coming for us," Clarke realized. Bellamy leaned over the command center table and looked at Monty.

"They deactivated my key card. Can you do that to his?"

"That one's easy." Monty immediately sat down at the chair to do his work. Bellamy turned his head back to the monitor and watched as the camera moved on Cage, who walked back into the mess hall. Alessia wasn't paying attention, she just looked into the corner with a stern, hard line on her lips, deep in thought. Clarke and Bellamy watched as Cage stormed across the mess hall and went into another corridor. On another one of the monitors on a smaller screen, they watched Cage enter another room.

"The dorm," Clarke breathed softly. Alessia turned her head slightly, snapping out of her trance.

"Monty, can you do it? Irradiate the level?"

"I can do it." He looked up at her with one of his looks, one that she didn't particularly care for or notice at that point in time. She turned around to the cameras to watch Cage as she felt Bellamy come up beside her.

"Wait a second, Alessia. We need to think about this."

"We don't have _time_ to think about this, Bellamy."

"There are kids in there."

"You think I don't know that? I know that."

"People who helped us—"

"I know that!" she spun around angrily to face Clarke and Bellamy with a broken look. "Someone figure out a better plan and do it fast because we're running out of time! We're running out of time and we can't do anything about it so please! I'm begging you. I'm begging you, give me a better plan."

"She's right." Clarke stepped forward to Alessia's side. Alessia turned her eyes up to look at the blonde, who nodded at her. "There is no better plan. This is it. This is what we have to do to get them back."

"Clarke, we can't."

"There is no more 'can't', Bellamy. We have to."

"No!" Alessia exclaimed breathlessly as her eyes wandered over to the cameras, where she saw Cage pull her father off of the chains in the dorm room after Raven was escorted off the table. She rushed over to the monitors and covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from screaming. "This can't be happening. This can't be happening! Monty, please!"

"I'm trying. I'm trying," he breathed. Clarke looked over at Bellamy, who caught her gaze nervously.

"If we do this, there is no going back!"

"There's already no going back," Alessia muttered, but everyone else in the room heard her loud and clear. She watched as her father tried desperately to punch out the people on the table, but it was no use. Being a Kane didn't mean you were a superhero. "Not for any of us. Not anymore."

Clarke turned her head to look at Monty, where she nodded quietly to give him the go-ahead.

* * *

They didn't count the minutes that went by as Monty tried his hardest to get the system prepared for irradiation from the command controls. Alessia paced by the monitor where she could see her dad thrashing on the table as the men in lab coats pulled vials of his marrow out of his body. To his right was Abby, trying everything she could to get out of the chains to get to him. Alessia knew that she was next once they'd finished her father off, but that wasn't an option. If Monty didn't get the irradiation software up in the next two minutes, she would burst into the dorms herself. She would get killed for it, but at that point, her mind wasn't going that far.

"Now what?" she heard Bellamy whisper. When she turned, she could see him staring at a camera where two teenagers were running through the corridors, and Octavia followed behind them with her sword drawn. Guards bombarded her, but she slashed every one of them until they were all dead on the floor. Maya followed quickly behind, out of breath, and they ran again when they saw guards coming from the other side of the hall.

"They gotta get out of there," Bellamy stated, although it sounded more like a hope. As Monty continued to work, they heard a loud banging on the door outside. One look at Camera 40 and they could see Emerson outside the door attempting to kick it in. Clarke inhaled stiffly.

"He's here."

"Jasper. They caught him." Monty informed them as he stared up at the camera Alessia had been staring at, noticing the small teenager entering the dorm room where they were keeping the prisoners. Too much was happening all at once. They could see guards storm the mess hall and corner Octavia and Maya, Emerson banging on the door, Kane thrashing on the table, Jasper being locked up in chains, and so much more. It was all coming to a head, and they had seconds left on the clock.

Alessia whipped around as she heard a ding from Monty's station. He stilled his hands, causing her to flip.

"What's the matter with you? We've run out of time, Monty! Why the hell did you stop?"

"Because I did it," he told her softly and looked between her, Clarke, and Bellamy before looking down at the lever in front of him. "All we have to do is pull this. Hatches and vents will open and the scrubbers reverse, pulling in outside air."

No one moved. If they wanted, it could be over in seconds. Bellamy interrupted their thoughts as he spotted Emerson outside their door with a pack of explosives. Without wasting any time, he drew his firearm and pointed it at the entrance.

"He's gonna blow the door!"

"Clarke, we're out of time," Alessia whispered to her as she walked around Monty and came up to her friend's side. Clarke pushed her aside and gripped the top of the lever, but she looked up at the monitors for a second measure. All her people, all of her friends. They were all counting on her to stop it, and she had it right at her fingertips. She could feel the tears in her eyes.

"I have to save them," Clarke whispered to herself. Alessia shut her eyes tightly.

"Life sucks, and then you die. Life sucks, and then you die." Maybe if she said it enough, she'd get over the overwhelming sense of hatred for herself that she felt inside as she leaned forward and placed her hand over Clarke's. The blonde turned to her best friend and choked back her tears.

"I'm sorry."

Alessia didn't need to say anything. She nodded and they both let the lever underneath them slowly pull back towards them until it didn't go any further. Within seconds, yellow lights flashed everywhere and on Monty's screen they could see the hazard signs as they flooded into the mountain. The alarm began to sound and on the monitors, they could see every Mount Weather resident start to drop and scream in pain. Although she could feel something kicking so hard in her stomach that she was afraid she would fall apart, Alessia remained stoic on the outside, unlike Clarke, who was two seconds away from bursting into tears. Every person on the monitors that was not immune to the air dropped and writhed until the radiation consumed them.

They waited until Emerson realized what was happening, and then fled the scene because he knew quickly that he was then outnumbered. By that point, everyone on the monitors were still.

"Let's go get our people," Clarke suggested quietly and turned around, the first to leave the room. Bellamy watched as Alessia avoided his eyes and followed behind her. They walked around to the mess hall first, where Alessia's heart nearly stopped. There was a person for every chair in the dining hall, and every single one of them was slumped over with skin burnt to a crisp. _Massacre, _she thought. _This is a massacre. _

Yet they moved forward, attempting to make their way to the dorms. But as they passed the piles and piles of dead bodies, they came across Jasper slumped on the floor, a very dead Maya in his arms. His eyes, red and swollen from the tears, glared up at them.

"What did you do?" he whispered in a broken voice. Clarke's breath shook.

"W-We had no choice."

"I was gonna kill Cage," he cried. "If you'd given me one more minute, it would've been over."

"It was never going to be over. They never would've given up, Jasper. They never would've stopped. I'm sorry," Alessia murmured as she took a deep breath and stepped forward, but Jasper then turned his eyes up at her viciously, causing her to stand, frozen.

"You." He looked up at her with glassy eyes filled with sorrow. "Margot. Maya. They're both dead because of you."

She winced. Never in her life had words stung her so badly. She'd been called names, she'd been punched and ridiculed, she'd been hated because of who her father was. But never had she, herself, been so despised by someone so much before. Never had she been accused of being the reason that two people—two of her friends—were dead.

"We have to go to the dorms," Clarke whispered to her, and as Jasper hung his head to cry over Maya's dead body, she allowed herself to leave with Clarke and Bellamy. When they reached the dorms, nearly everyone had been freed by Octavia, who was going around with a key to their chains in her hands.

Clarke rushed immediately over to her mother, who was helping Kane off of the table. They embraced in a long hug until Clarke finally pulled away, tears running down her face. Her mother wiped them away and brushed her hair out of her face gently.

"I tried," Clarke admitted, allowing herself to let the tears rush down so quickly that she could feel herself lose control. "I tried to be the good guy."

Abby looked back at her with a sorrowful look, but it was nowhere near as disappointed as Clarke thought it would be. Dr. Griffin sighed. "Maybe there are no good guys."

Rather than running, Alessia let herself walk over to her father, who slowly lifted himself off of the gurney he was lying on with a wince. She came up to him with a somber look on her face, and the moment she came to his side, he knew what was wrong. They stared at each other for a while before he reached out and grabbed her hand in his, holding it in a way she'd never thought he would. He looked up at her with his own tears.

"You did what you needed to do. Just like you did before. I wish I had seen it then, but I see it now, Alessia."

She knew he was referring to when she was arrested, but she didn't agree. She didn't agree at all, in fact. So, she just stood there and nodded for a while, looking down at her shoes before she let her eyes drift up, unaware that there were tears. When she realized that a tear fell down her face, she wiped it away quickly and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying..."

"No." He lifted himself from the table and pulled her into an embrace. She let herself hug him back, even though she felt like it was all wrong. Everything was wrong. Everything. "Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry."

A few feet away from them, Octavia unlocked Zoe's chains as fast as she could. As soon as she did, Zoe went rushing over to Calix, who was all the way across the dorm rubbing his raw wrists and propping himself up on a table so that his leg wouldn't have to bear the weight anymore. The second she reached him, she threw her hands around his face and sighed, relieved.

"You're okay. Thank God you're okay."

"I'm okay." He nodded in her hands, and she let out another relieved breath before stepping away, realizing that she might've gone too far. But before she could get too far, he grabbed her hand back and pulled her closer to him. "You're okay, Z?"

"I...I'm okay," she replied, very aware of his hand in hers. She could feel her heart race, and realized too quickly that she was going insane. Insane enough to blurt out the words that came from her mouth in the following seconds. "I need you to know that I love you, Calix. I do. And maybe almost dying today kind of...kind of made me want to tell you."

He smiled at her. It was a sad smile, and she knew it. Calix could see Alessia out of the corner of his eye, with her father. And it was strange. For the first time, he hadn't thought about her first before asking Zoe if she was okay. The thought didn't cross his mind at all. And, in a moment, he realized that piece of information was a big one. Maybe he could move on, after all.

"I know you do." He gripped her hand tighter and straightened himself up. She put another hand on him to stabilize him, and he put his other hand on her face and kissed her cheek, softly. He could hear her heart thumping from a few inches away. "You just have to give me a little time to say it back again."

"I won't break your heart, C."

And it was the first time he realized that when she said it, she was right. He knew Alessia would break his heart from the moment he met her, and look at where she was now. But standing in front of Zoe, he knew right then and there. She wouldn't break his heart.

Alessia pulled away from Kane's hug, even though there was a part of her inside that really didn't want to. As she did, she watched him walk away over to Bellamy, who was standing in the corner looking around at all the lives they saved at the expense of those in the other room. He didn't realize it at first, but he felt a soft hand come down onto his shoulder gently, and when he actively looked up, he saw Kane with a somewhat proud look in his eyes.

"You did good." Bellamy nodded at him, a silent 'thank you'. "Now let's get these people home."

"Yes, Sir."

They moved to rally the rest of them, but before they could, Octavia came rushing up to their side. She looked between them both, her eyes wide in alarm. "Where's Cage?"

* * *

He had managed to slip out before Clarke, Alessia, and the rest of her team could track him down within the Mountain. With his flashlight and bag of supplies he had quickly thrown together, Cage walked through the unfamiliar forest in the dark trying to figure out where the safest place to go would be. But as he got further into the darkness, he only grew more paranoid. As trees rustled and leaves crunched, he looked around cautiously.

"Who's there?" he called out. More rustling and crunching went on, and he knew that he was not alone at that point. So, in a deep voice, he shouted, "Show yourself!"

In the mist, through a small window of light that appeared from a patch of moon, he could see Lincoln charge towards him, bellowing as he drew his sword for the kill. Cage reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his frequency toners, which had Lincoln on his knees with no strength to pull himself back up. Keeping the toner on, Cage reached into his bag and pulled out the Reaper serum. With a large grin on his face, Cage bent down next to Lincoln.

"I've got something for ya." He inched closer with the needle in the air. "This is for you!"

Just as he was about to come down and insert the serum into Lincoln's neck, Lincoln found the strength within him to grab the end of his sword and pull it out from the dirt, swinging up to slice Cage's hand off with the needle inside of it. Cage screamed aloud as he felt the pain from the dismemberment, filling the forest with his bellows. Lincoln watched as Cage sank to his knees, and slowly he bent down to grab the Reaper serum from the severed hand.

"No." Lincoln reached down and injected the Reaper serum into Cage's neck without batting an eye. Cage's eyes rolled back into his head as he fell over onto his back, staring up at Lincoln, who blended into the night. Lincoln stared at him from above with a vengeful glare. "The first dose is the worst."

And slowly, he watched as the life faded from Cage's eyes and his entire body fell completely limp. With that finished, Lincoln threw the empty needle onto Cage's dead body and fled into the night.

* * *

She could hear ringing in her ears as she washed the blood off her fingertips gently, scrubbing when necessary to get the dried liquid life off her skin. Yet, despite the fact that she hadn't slept since the bombing at Tondc and had just contributed to a massacre of an entire facility of mainly innocent human beings, Alessia breathed evenly as she cleansed herself free of the bloodshed that she bathed in.

But while she remained stable on her exterior, she could hear that voice in her head shouting so loud she was sure it would kill her.

_You killed them. You shot a man point-blank and exterminated an entire civilization. Is this really what you've become?_

"Alessia?" Bellamy called out as he pushed aside a shrub and stepped out in front of the river, where he saw his dark-haired Robin Hood knelt over at the shallow mouth, taking both the time and effort to rid herself of her sins. He stood behind her, unable to see her face as he walked closer. Softly, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"I just needed the blood to come off, okay?"

"I think it's gone."

"Not all of it," she retorted icily. Bellamy didn't know what he expected after they'd left the mountain, but he didn't exactly know how to handle it, either. All he could come up with was to inch forward slowly and try to be there for her the way she had been so many times before.

"Kane—"

"I'm fine. Go back to the rest of the group, I'll catch up soon." Alessia used her elbow to wipe away the sweat on her forehead as she continued to wash her hands without a word to him. Bellamy hardly gave up; instead, he walked beside her and bent down so that he was at her level, staring with wide, uneasy eyes. She didn't notice him—she just kept washing her pale, pruned fingers. In an effort to earn her attention, he reached out and brushed her hair off her shoulder so he could get a better look at her face.

"Alessia, look at me."

"What?" she asked, flinching away from him. Alessia refused to look up, in fear that seeing him would make her hate herself less. She needed to feel the pain from Mount Weather, otherwise she would be even more upset. Bellamy was quiet and merely watched as she started to shake, trembling from the trauma of what they'd been through. He didn't blame her.

"Talk to me."

"Talk to you?" she repeated incredulously. Bellamy stayed silent as she processed his words, and he could see the tears that threatened at her eyes that she begged herself to hold back. "I-I did this, _I _did this. I might as well have opened the door on them all when Clarke and I tried to escape! All of this bloodshed, everyone we've lost...it's been so unnecessary. I could have even made this all easier if I had taken Cage out when I had the chance, but I didn't. I was so weak…but I could've stopped everything."

"Dante would have waged the war himself," he whispered. Her eyes snapped up to meet his furiously.

"Well, I took care of that too, didn't I?" He flinched at her brisk tone, but she barely noticed it. Instead, she lifted herself from the river, as did he, and she continued, "I proved everyone right today, Bellamy! I _am _my father's daughter! I am nothing but a malicious, power-hungry hypocrite! Kane put three hundred people into an airlock and sucked all the oxygen out of their lungs to save civilization on the Ark and I pulled a lever that killed hundreds of civilized people to save ourselves! What's the difference?"

"Everything. Everything's different." Bellamy shook his head. "What _we _did today was for the sake of our people. We saved them, Robin Hood."

"At what price, Bellamy?" she hissed, and he noticed her eyes as they swelled up. Whether it was the heat of the moment, the sun dawning on her over what she had done, or some other factor, he watched as she slowly started to fall apart. "Everything I've done…was so futile. Everyone calls me Robin Hood because I tried to do something good for our people back on the Ark. The law was flawed and corrupt and I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to _save _people but the truth is, down here, all I've done is kill people for the sake of our survival! How selfish is that? And Robin Hood? It's just a sick, twisted joke!"

"Don't," he warned, stepping forward and wiping a tear from her eye. She turned her cheek and tried to rid herself of the tears, but he ignored her. "I killed someone too, Alessia. When I first got into Mount Weather. I strangled one of the guards with my bare hands…and an hour later, I met his kid. What we have done here was for our survival, but there's nothing wrong with that! With survival comes bloodshed, it's inevitable. But don't forget that you tried to change that. From the second we came down here, you begged me not to build our lives on war. Sometimes I listened, sometimes I didn't, but…but the important part is, _you_ were the one who did that. You were the one who showed me a different way. We did this together, and if you need someone to blame, you can blame me. I'll take the responsibility for what we've done."

"You didn't pull that lever."

"I might as well have." He could see the hurt in her eyes, just as he was sure she could see his.

Alessia hesitated, processing his demand. He waited for her as she stared at him, and he tried to find some part of her that he could hold onto, but he could see clearly that she was not going to be okay at that moment. She could blame him like he asked, but who was he kidding? It was Alessia. She would never forgive herself, and he knew that. Which was why the words out of her mouth made his heart break.

"Do you know what it's like to be raised by someone that you hope to whatever God is out there that you don't grow up to be? To hate yourself when you find that you can't escape it?" She shut her eyes as a flicker of pain crossed her features. Bellamy wanted to reach out and console her, but he was afraid it would set her off. "Even if you wanted to, you couldn't pass the blame to someone else, Bellamy. When you live in my world, everything you do is pointless because, at the end of the day, you're a monster by genetics, and there's nothing you can do to change it!"

"You're not a monster, Alessia! Nothing you do could ever convince me of that. I—" He stopped himself. _No. _It was too soon, the timing was terrible, and he couldn't do it. In the span of five seconds, time stopped. Alessia stood, frozen, and Bellamy…well, he panicked. It came out too quickly to stop. "I love you."

_God damn it._

"I love you," he repeated, watching her expression carefully as she listened to the words out of his mouth. It was too early to tell whether or not he would regret them when they went back to camp, but it wasn't looking in his favor. "I've loved you for a while, I think—no, I don't think. I know."

The brunette before him was quiet—almost too quiet. As much as he hated to admit it, Clarke had been right ever since he'd talked to her when they had tried to find Calix and Finn; but the thing was, he wasn't ready to admit it then. And still, after everything they'd been through, he finally thought he was ready to tell her, but seeing the look on her face, he didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. At last, Alessia opened her mouth cautiously to respond.

"I…wouldn't if I were you. I would run for the hills and take back what you just said before I say it back because..." Alessia drew in a sharp inhale as she looked into his eyes, melting into the chocolate color. "I don't deserve you, Bellamy."

Bellamy looked into her own eyes, where he could see both the joy and the sorrow that filled them. He shook his head sternly. "I'm not running. I've been running from you since we started this. I don't _want_ to run from you anymore. I love you."

He waited while she hesitated, contemplating her next move carefully, but was taken by relief when she reached forward touched his cheek, lightly but sincerely. Bellamy could tell it hurt her to feel the happiness that she did, but she didn't hurt because she didn't love him. Her hand, cold from the river's waters and trembling from her fear, was only on his skin for a few moments, but it was worth it. Finally, she whispered, "I love you too, Bellamy. More than you know."

Bellamy smiled softly and watched her do the same, though still a sorrow twinge in her lips. When she tried to drop her hand from his face and retreat into herself, however, he stepped closer and enclosed his fingers in hers. He reached forward with his other hand and used his strong finger to pull her chin up to look into his eyes. "Listen to me. You're a leader, Alessia. Leaders make tough decisions, but that doesn't make them terrible people."

Though her face was next to his, her eyes dropped to the floor. "I never wanted to be a leader."

"But it's where you belong."

Alessia didn't disagree or agree with his statement. Instead, she looked up at him and, in a voice full of disdain, admitted, "It wasn't supposed to be this way."

Bellamy nodded. "I know."

He didn't have anything to tell her. What was done was done. There was no way to change it. So instead of saying anything else, he just pulled her into a hug and let her cry as long as she needed into his shirt, judgement-free, so that she could get it out of her system before they joined the crowd again.

* * *

Just as the last of the survivors from the Mountain walked into the gates of Camp Jaha, Alessia watched as Clarke walked over to her, avoiding her gaze like the two of them had done to everyone else. They stood outside the gates, observing their friends and family trying to cope with what had happened. Alessia stood quietly, feeling as if her heart had physically broken inside of her chest. She wondered if Clarke felt the same way.

"I bear it so they don't have to," Clarke whispered quietly, breaking their silence. It almost hurt to hear the words. "We've been through too much. After everything I've done to you, I won't let you blame yourself for this."

Alessia swallowed. "Clarke—"

"This is what I want you to do." Clarke turned to Alessia, who reluctantly turned to look at her. They locked eyes, something that was hard for the both of them to do. Clarke tried to hold back her tears. "I want you to go inside. I want you to sit down and have a cup of Monty's moonshine with Bellamy. I want you to be happy with him, with your father, with our friends. I want you to get through this. For me."

"It doesn't work that way and you know it."

"Then promise me you'll try."

A silence hung over them for a while, but rather than agreeing to promise Clarke what she wanted, Alessia inhaled sharply when she pieced together what was going on. Her chest suddenly felt ten times heavier. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Listen to me, Clarke." Alessia straightened and fought back the emotions that threatened in her tear ducts. She'd never felt so many feelings in one day before. "You said you were sorry before we pulled that lever, but I didn't tell you that I forgive you. And I do. I forgive you, Clarke. I forgive you. We can forgive each other, but you have to stay here. You can't run away."

"I don't need forgiveness, all I need is for you to forgive yourself. I'm leaving whether or not you do, but I'm telling you that I will not let your life turn upside down." She smiled at her friend, who let a tear fall down her face. She really hated crying, but she'd done it three times in one day. "You can be happy here, Alessia. Don't let what happened today get in the way of that."

It was then that Alessia knew she couldn't stop Clarke, even if she'd given her all the forgiveness in the world. She realized almost immediately that it wasn't about her and her happiness. No matter what happened, no matter if she spent the rest of her life miserable or if she spent the rest of her life in bliss, Clarke would still be in pain. Clarke would always be in pain, and it was that pain that she needed to felt. Alessia understood that completely, knowing that if she didn't feel the pain that she felt inside, she would feel even worse. They were both ruined; they were both in pain. The difference was, Clarke couldn't be around everyone while she mourned.

"Take care of them for me," Clarke requested as she noticed Alessia come to her conclusion. The two were quiet for a while before Alessia dropped her eyes and asked a question.

"Where are you gonna go?"

"I don't know."

"Please be careful, then." Alessia brought her eyes back up to Clarke, where she did not smile but rather looked at her with the pain they shared. "You're still my best friend, you know."

"Always. No matter where I am." Clarke stepped forward and threw her arms around Alessia, pulling her into a hug. She knew Alessia wasn't one for hugs, but at that moment, it was inevitable. She was surprised when she felt Alessia hug her back, and although Clarke could feel the torture inside of her, it felt nice to know that she still had a friend. "May we meet again."

"May we meet again," Alessia whispered back as Clarke pulled away and walked in the opposite direction immediately, wasting no time for her to change her mind. Alessia turned, herself, back to Camp Jaha, her eyes flooded with tears and her back turned on her best friend. Moments later, she felt someone come up to her side.

"Hey." The brunette looked up to find Bellamy standing in front of her, a concerned look on his face as he noticed Clarke walking away. "What's going on?"

"Our Princess just resigned," she said softly, refusing to look back as Bellamy did. When he realized what that meant, she saw his expression change, flickering between sorrow and anger. She shook her head and grabbed his hand in hers. "Let's just...let's go inside. Please."

She pulled him with her, but just as they crossed the threshold into the camp, Bellamy turned her to him with a halt. "Alessia, we'll get through this. Together."

But no matter how hard they tried or how much they wanted things to stay the same, the inevitable truth was that the old Robin Hood and Messiah were left at the gate. In the wake of their sins, they simply became Alessia Kane and Bellamy Blake. Together.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**A few things to wrap up with...**

**First: **Roman Holiday is now online!** It is a Bellamy/Alessia AU fanfic to thank you all for your continued support on this story. In addition to the story being posted, **there is also a playlist and a trailer on my profile under Roman Holiday's section.

**Second: **I'll be taking a short break from this story** to make it appear like you've waited months for Season 3 like we had to do this year :P Don't worry, it will be a much shorter break than the network's (I'm talking maybe two or three weeks), but in the meantime, I would appreciate it so much if you all would **share your thoughts about the season finale and predictions about season 3 in a review below** and also **go and check Roman Holiday out!

**I'll be back soon! :)**

* * *

**RHatch89: **Thanks :)

**RellaRose100: **You know, as I was writing it, I realized it was a quasi-confrontation. Alessia got her "revenge" of sorts by killing his father, and Cage in return tried to kill hers. I wanted to have Alessia kill Cage, but I also didn't want to take away from Lincoln's revenge and so I altered my agenda a bit so that the characters in the 100 continue to have the same MO as they do in the show. But there was a little something there, and so I hope you liked it (that and the Bellessia reunion)! Thanks for the review!

**caymanislands: **Thanks! I hope you were satisfied with the end of this season, but the Season 3 opener is going to be extremely different from the way we left this season. I'm excited about it though. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reviewing.

**GraceTM86: **Haha I'm glad you enjoyed it! It took me a little while but here it is. And the Bellessia side fic is up! Go check it out! Thanks for reviewing.

**soccergurl382: **Wow A+ for devotion! 28 chapters in one day has got to be a record. Aw, thank you! So for Calix, I have him down as Robert Pattinson and for Takeo, I have him down as Michael Ealy (both really really good actors...and also not bad-looking lol). If you ever want to know who I have pictured for a specific OC and don't want to wait for me to respond, you can take a look on my profile. I have all of the characters on there with links to GIFs and the actor/actress's names in parenthesis next to the character name. Thanks for reviewing and here's the update! Hope you enjoyed it.

**Guest: **I had been planning on it, but I really wanted to get this chapter out of the way first. It will hopefully come soon, though! I just have to get the right motivation, which I feel should be coming soon since I have published this chapter and have gotten Roman Holiday out of the way. I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Outside and thank you for reviewing!


	30. Wanheda: Part 1

**Thanks to everyone that checked out Roman Holiday as I mentioned in the A/N last chapter! If you haven't read it yet, there are two chapters posted! It is on a biweekly schedule and should be updated **this Friday **at **9PM EST**. **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Wanheda**

**Part 1**

Bellamy's chest rose and fell with heavy panting as Lincoln loomed over him with a tightly clenched fist residing next to his face. He could've tried to gain the drop on him, but Bellamy didn't really want to spend all day in the training room getting his ass kicked by his sister's boyfriend. That, and there was the small issue that he felt like his back had split in half from the flip Lincoln tested on him.

The ex-Grounder turned to all of the trainees observing his and Bellamy's fight. He walked closer to them and breathed carefully.

"He had me, but he was too aggressive."

"Whatever you say." Bellamy threw a look and a scoff over his shoulder as he put on his shirt so that he could leave. Lincoln turned around at him as the crowd chuckled.

"Quitting so soon?"

"Mapping run. Sector 7. Harper! Let's get this over with." Right as he slipped his shirt over his shoulder, Harper turned to her side and grabbed the jacket she was instructed to give to Lincoln. She tossed it to him, and the Grounder caught the jacket effortlessly in his hand. He looked down at it with both confusion and reservations, but Bellamy walked over to him. "The Council wants you to have that."

"I'm Trikru."

"A uniform doesn't change that." Bellamy shook his head. "This is our home now, Lincoln. We fought for it." He turned his head to the crowd of teenagers behind him. "Too many of our friends died for it. On the Ark, the uniform meant something different. Down here, it means what we make it mean. Together." Discreetly, he leaned forward to Lincoln and whispered, "My sister will understand that eventually."

Bellamy turned and walked away, but as he did, Lincoln ordered their watchers to simulate the fighting themselves so they could learn. As they moved into their positions, Lincoln came up behind Bellamy just as the dark-haired leader grabbed his own Ark uniform so that he could head out.

"Hey," Lincoln caught his attention as Bellamy turned to go. "Sector 7? That puts you right at the Ice Nation border."

"I know."

"Just because Azgeda is part of the Commander's coalition doesn't mean they respect the ceasefire. I should be on that scout."

Bellamy nodded. "I wish. We all do. But until the Commander agrees to lift the kill order on you, you're more trouble than you're worth."

With that being said, Bellamy walked out of the training room only to walk into another room where he knew Marcus Kane would be, mapping the area as they had been doing for the past three months. When he walked in, after his knock, he watched Marcus put a finger to his lips cautiously. Bellamy could see that Dr. Griffin was lying on the couch in the other part of the room, sleeping away. He didn't think much of it, but it was very apparent that Kane and Griffin had been nearly inseparable since their return from Mount Weather.

"This is the first sleep the Chancellor's had in two days," Marcus explained.

"I'll be quick, then. We're going into Sector 7. I think we should arm the entire unit."

Kane hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Permission granted. But the rules of engagement still apply. Non-lethal response."

"Copy that."

"Bellamy," Marcus called him back, causing Bellamy to turn around to face Kane once again. The older man walked forward precariously. "There hasn't been an attack since Mount Weather. That's three months. Our people believe that this is real peace. Try not to screw that up."

Bellamy smiled. "Yes, Sir."

"And one more thing." Kane and Bellamy stood in the front of the room across each other, a silent understanding between them both. Bellamy shifted uncomfortably as he realized the nature of the conversation shifted on a dime. "Have you talked to my daughter lately?"

There it was. The question he always dreaded whenever he talked to Kane about anything. He thought he was safe when people were around them, but as it turned out, that was just as bad. Nearly every time they talked he always had to fit Alessia into the conversation somewhere, as if reminding him that his daughter was still out and about would make Bellamy realize what a mistake they'd made. It didn't work.

"No, I haven't." Bellamy sighed. Kane scowled at him with that disappointed father-type look across his face.

"You should."

"I don't think that's a good idea." He put his hands on his hips defensively. "We broke up six weeks ago. No disrespect, Sir, but I've moved on. She's moved on. Maybe you should, too."

He didn't wait for Marcus to respond to him, but merely walked out of the room without looking back. Once he was gone, Bellamy let out a long-winded sigh. He hated to talk about her.

* * *

_DAY 85_

_Patient 29 \- poison ivy_

_Patient 30 \- knife wound on shoulder (medium incision)_

_Patient 31 \- broken femur_

"Help! Someone, please! Help! It's my dad!"

The teenager's hazel eyes snapped up immediately at the desperate plea for help. She shut her notebook so quickly that it fell on the floor with a splat. Alessia abruptly stood up and sprinted across the small medical room to the main doors, where she was greeted by a frantic 10-year-old girl holding her father up with all her strength on her shoulders. The moment Alessia reached them, she immediately attempted to ease the weight of the middle-aged man off the girl's body.

"What happened?" Alessia asked hurriedly, meanwhile checking the man's vitals the best she could while without her equipment in the other room.

The younger girl stuttered, "I-I don't know. We were playing a game and he just...fell! Please tell me he's gonna be okay!"

Alessia didn't respond, for she was much too worried about what would become of the poor girl's father if she wasted even a second more. Quickly, yet still empathetically, she turned to the trembling blonde girl and looked into her blue eyes with as much urgency as she could display without completely scaring the daughter out of her mind.

"I need to ask you a few questions, okay? Answer them as best as you can. Did your father say anything about chest pain? Or even about being dizzy…or light-headed…?"

"Y-Yes. What's wrong with him?" At that point, she was nearly shouting. Alessia removed one hand from the girl's father and placed it on the 10-year-old's shoulder calmly.

"Deep breaths, sweetie. I'm going to help your dad, okay? I promise. Can you tell me your name?"

"K-Kelsey."

"I'm Alessia. I need you to do me a favor, Kelsey…I need you to grab your dad's arm very carefully and help me bring him into the other room. Can you do that for me?"

After a moment of brief hesitation, the young girl nodded and thus helped Alessia bring Kelsey's father into the examination room. As she entered, she saw Jackson spin up out of his chair, shaking his head at Alessia.

"Alessia, I'm with a patient—"

"Jackson, this man is having or just had a heart attack," she snapped, not really meaning to but also aware of the critical situation. Jackson's eyes widened before he looked at the patient on the table, who immediately realized the severity of the other patient and willingly got up from the makeshift sterile table to step over to the side. Kelsey and Alessia put Kelsey's father onto the cold metal table gently, and as they did, Jackson grabbed the girl's shoulders and moved her out of the way. The girl screamed in protest, but Alessia wasn't hearing it. She barely even noticed when Jackson stepped up to the middle-aged man's side and felt his pulse. Almost instantly, his eyes widened and he stared into Alessia's eyes.

"There's no pulse."

"What?! No! No, daddy, no!" wailed the girl behind Jackson. Alessia shook her head.

"This is not going to happen." She pressed her hands together on the man's chest and lifted herself onto the bottom of the table, looming over the dying—or, perhaps, already dead—man. With violent bursts, she compressed so hard onto his chest to get a heartbeat that she could hear Jackson shouting, possibly thinking she was a madwoman.

_You are not dying today, _was all she could think. _You are not dying on my watch._

On what felt like her hundredth chest compression, Jackson, Kelsey, Alessia, and the woman who had been the patient before Jackson had forced her up watched as the middle-aged man on the table slowly breathed back to life. He looked noticeably drained, but that didn't matter to him as long as he was alive. After Alessia pushed herself back onto the ground with a relieved sigh, his eyes wandered around, dazed, until he finally saw his daughter, who rushed over to his side.

"Dad!"

"Kelsey…" the man croaked. Through her heavy breaths, she looked up at Jackson, who was undoubtedly giving her a disapproving look. He called her over, and she recognized immediately how much trouble she was in. She knew she wasn't that experienced, but she'd been working in the infirmary for nearly two months and had always been the first to learn quickly.

"Alessia, you can't do something like that," Jackson scolded. She shifted uncomfortably and looked around the room, trying to maintain her temper. "These are people's lives at stake. Imagine what could happen if you messed up and hurt someone—"

She ignored him curtly. "I don't think we have any medication left for him. Can you make sure to put him on a bed and make sure his vitals are stable? I'll go see if there's anything useful they found from the supply run this morning. I'll speak with Dr. Griffin when I get back."

Jackson didn't respond and she didn't wait for him to, as she just pushed her hair out of her face and left the exam room. When she walked out into the waiting area where she had been sitting before, she picked up her notebook and pen from the floor and opened back up to the page she was on. Hastily, she scratched her first record for the day.

_DAY 86_

_Patient 32 \- heart attack_

A few minutes later, she found herself walking through the corridors of the Ark to make her way to their new mess hall of sorts. They'd been taking things from Mount Weather one trip at a time and moving them into the Ark so that people had things to do now that there was a ceasefire with the Grounders. She didn't know much, mainly because she chose not to involve herself in it, but all she knew was that she hated going into their mess hall. It was like a ghost town, reminding her of all the blood that coated her hands.

"Alessia," she heard, and when stopping in the middle of the hallway to look over her shoulder, she watched as Octavia rushed up to her. She hadn't changed in three months, still covered in Trikru war paint with a kickass sword on her back. Alessia swallowed hard and started to walk away as quickly as she could before Octavia could approach her. Unfortunately, the younger teenager was too fast. Octavia grimaced and muttered, "Hello to you, too."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"We're going on a mapping run to Sector 7. Come with us." Short, sweet, and to the point. She had to admit, she did prefer Octavia's badgering over everyone else's.

"No, thanks. I think I'm okay here."

"Seriously? This is the first time you've left the infirmary in an entire week! You sleep there, you eat there..." Alessia took in a hard breath, finding herself extremely uncomfortable under the judgement of her ex-boyfriend's sister that effortlessly kept up with her brisk pace over to the mess hall. Before she could enter, Octavia pulled her to a stop in the middle of the hallway and stepped in front of her with confrontation lighting her pupils. "You need to talk to someone about this."

Kane shrugged. "No, actually. I don't."

"Look, if you won't talk to me...at least talk to my brother. Please." Octavia caught her eyes finally and shifted with a sad smile across her features. "Come on. You haven't spoken to him since you broke up. That was almost two months ago!"

Her head bobbed up and down slowly, almost sarcastically. "Yes, Octavia...that's typically what happens when two people break up. They stop speaking to each other. It's sort of a...common courtesy."

"Don't give me that. You and Bellamy aren't the 'common courtesy' type. Why won't you talk to him?"

"You know, if I'm not mistaken, I heard that he was seeing someone. Apparently someone he knew back from the Ark—"

Octavia scoffed. "Please. I already forgot her name. I know my brother, so I know that he's only seeing what's-her-name in order to convince himself he's over you! And trust me, he's not."

Alessia frowned at her, irritated at the interruption. She continued, ignoring Octavia's commentary. "...even if I wanted to, I don't think it would help much if we started talking again. I've moved on. He's moved on. You should, too."

She didn't wait for Octavia to respond to her, but merely walked past her into the mess hall without looking back. Once she was away from the younger sibling, Alessia let out a heavy breath that she'd been holding in since Octavia approached her. She hated to talk about him.

* * *

Bellamy strode into the new mess hall they made from one of the largest rooms in what was left of the Ark, passing through to find Monty sitting down looking deeply distraught. He frowned.

"Monty, why aren't you ready?"

"I am." Monty lowered his hands from his chin as Bellamy approached his side. He looked over his shoulder bitterly. "He's not."

With a confused look on his face, Bellamy turned his own head over his shoulder to follow Monty's eyes. There, he found an intoxicated Jasper Jordan lying on the ground with an empty cup of alcohol on his chest. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that Jasper was dead with the way he was lying still, but he did know better. This wasn't the first time Jasper was so drunk he crawled under the piano and laid there to sleep it off. Bellamy and Monty both walked over to get a better look at the drunkard, who muttered incoherent sentences in his drunken state. Monty looked down at his friend with sorrow in his eyes.

"What should we do?"

"We should leave him this time."

"He's not getting better. Maya's death broke him." Bellamy turned to lock eyes with Monty. Involuntarily, Bellamy remembered that moment he, Clarke, and Alessia had found him on the floor with Maya in his arms. Jasper's words to Alessia haunted his brain. _Margot. Maya. They're dead because of you. _"He needs this."

Bellamy exhaled frustratedly and moved forward. "Take an arm."

The two of them walked up and dragged Jasper out from underneath the piano, each of them draping one of Jasper's arms around their shoulders so they could pull him up and walk him over to their vehicle in the farthest corner of the mess hall. As they propped the intoxicated teenager up against the vehicle, Bellamy heard a voice behind him.

"Zeke, I said produce first! Art doesn't go bad."

Bellamy glanced over his shoulder and, realizing that someone important to him was back from the supply run, looked back at Monty with a sour grin. "Monty, he's all yours."

He reached out and messed with Jasper's buzz-cut hair before turning away from them and walking over to the supply truck where Gina Martin was sitting inside handing the produce to one of the others that helped her unload. When he saw her, he smiled gently while she jumped down from the truck.

"Hey. Easy run?"

Gina sighed. "I hate that place."

Images of the blood and carnage he saw walking through the real Mt. Weather mess hall haunted his vision. He swallowed thickly. "I know."

He waited as she leaned forward and rose onto her toes to bring her lips to his, kissing him very softly. He kissed her back, but knew that it wouldn't be long before he had to leave to go to Sector 7. Seeing as how dangerous the mission was, he let himself enjoy the kiss for a lot longer than he should have before someone's unsettling cough beside them pulled the two apart.

As if he thought things couldn't get any more complicated.

"Alessia," Gina greeted her as Alessia cracked her knuckles with her thumbs at her side nervously. Bellamy stepped away from Gina almost immediately, as if there needed to be an entire buffer zone around them. He crossed his arms over his chest, discreetly covering his mouth, all the while realizing that Alessia's eyes cautiously flickered to him and then back at Gina hurriedly. "Did the infirmary run out of meds already?"

"Yeah, I was...uh, wondering if you'd found any on this trip. A patient came in with a heart attack this morning. I'd like to get him on some medication in case it happens again or it turns out that he has some other conditions." She gestured back and forth between Gina and Bellamy. "If you're...um, _busy_, I can find it myself."

"Actually, I think it's already been unloaded. Try the pile over there." Gina turned and pointed at a shelf not too far from them, and with a nod and a smile, Alessia thanked her and turned away, avoiding Bellamy's eyes as he did hers. When she was gone, Gina turned back to Bellamy with an oblivious smile. "Hold on. I got you something."

She turned around and reached into the truck in a small compartment, where she pulled out a book. When she turned around, she wrapped one arm around Bellamy as he looked down at her present with wonder. It was an old edition of The _Iliad. _

"You said your mom used to read this to you. I thought you'd like it."

But as he looked down at the book, all he saw was something unrecognizable. A version of him that was...unrecognizable. However, like any good boyfriend, he looked up and lied to the best of his ability about a present he didn't know what to do with.

"I do. Thanks."

Alessia watched through an empty space on the shelves as Bellamy gave Gina a small smile before turning with his book in his hand over to one of Mount Weather's old automobiles that had been kept on a lower floor. When he slammed his stuff onto the roof, Raven shouted while sliding out from underneath the car.

"Hey! Take it easy!"

Bellamy grinned. "Mornin' to you, too."

With a grunt, she lifted herself up from the floor while Bellamy unloaded a bunch of guns from his bag. Miller walked behind him in order to get into the truck, and as he did, Bellamy threw a firearm at him. Miller caught it, but frowned.

"What's the point if we can't shoot 'em?"

"We can. Just not to kill. That goes for everyone. Where's Octavia?"

"We're going outside the wall, you honestly think she'd miss that?"

Bellamy shrugged and turned back to the weapons in his bag. A few moments later, Monty walked straight up in front of Jasper and threw a bucket of ice-cold water in his face, causing the drunken teenager to gasp from the sudden gesture. With a blank stare, Monty sighed.

"Sorry. Was that too cold?"

Jasper didn't respond well to it. Instead of talking it out like a rational person, he took the other route. He screamed in Monty's face and gripped his friend's jacket, slamming him hard against the truck with a wild look. Everyone turned with concern, and behind the shelves, Alessia flinched and clenched her fists so hard she felt as if she were drawing blood from them. She expected something more to happen, but instead, when she found herself looking again, she saw Jasper back away from Monty and move towards the guns. Bellamy stopped him and grabbed the weapons.

"No gun for you, not until you're sober."

"Don't want one," Jasper said pointedly. He raised his hand in a salute but then reached out and hit Bellamy across the face drunkenly, turning around and stumbling over to get into the truck. Alessia half expected Bellamy to hit back, but instead, he let Jasper go and then sighed at Monty, handing him the second to last gun. She cocked an eyebrow to herself, finding it odd that he let Jasper go without consequences, but thought no more of it.

"Let's do this."

Raven climbed into the truck, as did Monty. Before Bellamy got into it, however, he walked back over to Gina, who put her hands on his chest and gave him a tight smile.

"Be safe."

She leaned forward and kissed him. When Gina pulled away, Bellamy nodded and walked back to the truck, the last one to hop in. Alessia then realized, as she barely felt a piece of her dull, numb heart slowly break off in her chest, that her hand had been on the medicine bottle the entire time. Shaking off her daze, she grabbed the pills in her hands and walked out, determined to focus again. Bellamy sat down in the truck with his friends and noticed quickly everyone except Jasper had been staring.

"I saw that whole thing with Alessia," Raven mentioned as she looked over her shoulder from the driver's seat. Bellamy stared up at her with alarmed eyes. "You didn't say one word to each other."

"Yeah. So?"

"I'm just saying, maybe you two should talk—"

"Shut up, Raven."

"Jeez. Fine." She started the car with a sour look on her face. She hit a button that she'd programmed to control the doors at the front of their makeshift mess hall, and as the light shone in, they watched as Octavia pulled up at the front with herself mounted on a beautiful chestnut horse. Miller scoffed.

"Guess we found her."

"Try and keep up!" Octavia shouted to Raven as she turned her horse around for the gates. Raven chuckled and put the truck in drive, following Octavia's horse down the path until they left the gates of Arkadia.

* * *

Dr. Griffin watched as Alessia handed Kelsey's father, whose name was Nester, a few pills that would keep his heart condition in control until they could find a more permanent solution. Luckily, there were no signs of further complications, but Alessia knew that another heart attack could cause multiple issues with his organs. Nester thanked her for her help from the bed that they had made up for him so that they could keep him overnight, and as he set the pills aside, Kelsey stepped around the bed and launched herself at Alessia, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Alessia was taken back, surprised, but gave the girl a small pat on her back before prying her off. When Kelsey turned back to her father with a wide smile on her face, Alessia sighed and left the room, running a hand through her messy hair. When she was alone, Dr. Griffin cornered her.

"Look," Alessia began with a frustrated breath. "I know what I did today was reckless. But I saved someone's life, okay? A father's life. And if it weren't for me, that little girl would have to spend the rest of her life alone so—"

"I'm not here to yell at you for what you did today, Alessia." Abby smiled. "I'm here to tell you that you did a great job. In fact, you've been doing an amazing job ever since you came to me two months ago. But I have to ask..."

Alessia ran her tongue along her teeth. "Not this again."

"Alessia, you spend nearly every waking hour in here with me, you refuse to go on the mapping runs, and you haven't even looked at a weapon since you came back from Mount Weather. As a doctor, I'm happy that you're volunteering your time here at the infirmary. But as Chancellor and...frankly, someone who knows _you_, I need to know that you're okay."

"I'm fine, Dr. Griffin. Really. I am."

Abby didn't know if she believed her or not, but at that point, a group of young boys came up beside them helping a smaller boy who was limping. When Dr. Griffin saw the soccer ball in one of their arms, she took in a deep breath.

"Another sprained ankle? I told you to be more careful when you play."

"I've got this one, Abby. You should get some more rest," Alessia suggested. Before Dr. Griffin could say anything, the door behind them opened and in walked Marcus, looking around for someone in particular. Sure enough, when he saw his daughter, he walked over and gave her a polite smile. Alessia bit down on her cheek and her lips curled up into a nervous half-smile. She loved her dad and she didn't mind seeing him, but every time they spoke he asked her about Bellamy. She had already gone through it once today, she really didn't want to do it a second time.

"Alessia! Good. You're free. Can I see you for a second?"

"I'm actually a little busy right now, Dad..."

"No, she's not. Alessia's done for the day." Doctor Griffin looked back at Alessia with a wide grin, ignoring the fact that Alessia's eyes widened in obvious protest.

"But, Abby—"

Abigail ignored her bluntly as she looked down at the boys beside them, lost in the conversation. She gave them a motherly smile and pointed to the exam room behind Alessia. "Come on, boys. Let's take care of that. And no more rough-housing! Four sprained ankles are my limit."

When she took the kids out of the waiting area, Alessia had no other choice but to follow her dad outside of the room with crossed arms and extremely peeved footsteps. They walked into the hallway and stayed to the side, allowing the occasional passerby the space to get around them. As soon as they were alone, Alessia sighed heavily.

"If it's about another mapping run or another training session, I told you I'm not interested."

"This is starting to get ridiculous, Alessia," Kane began. But ever since Mount Weather, she noticed that he didn't use his 'Marcus Kane' voice anymore. It was more of a soft tone, an understanding outline to it. She appreciated him taking it easy on her, but it only made her angrier. "I understand that you want to help these people, but there are things that need to get done—"

"Things that other people can do. I don't have to be the one to do them, you know."

"I suppose you don't." He shrugged after a moment of silence. "That doesn't change the fact that you should."

Alessia snuck a glance at her father from the corner of her eye, making contact with him as he stared at her with a very serious look on his face. She almost wanted to agree with him, but she knew that it was a bad idea.

For a month, she tried to be that person. She tried to be okay enough to lead their population of aspiring teenagers, but she just couldn't. How could she when she couldn't pick up a gun without flashing back to the worst night of her entire life? Her entire body convulsed just _thinking _about putting her finger on the trigger; quite honestly, she'd wished she felt that way back before she shot Dante point-blank in the back. All of those feelings hadn't changed in the past three days since Kane had talked to her about it before. Eventually, she uncrossed her arms and slapped them down to her sides with a frustrated shrug.

"Is this what you showed up to do? Lecture me? Again? Because before you waste another breath, let me clue you in. Your lectures are getting you nowhere, Dad. I'm sorry, but it's just not working."

Kane frowned, and his tone came a little bit more fatherly than it had been before. "No, Alessia. Actually, I came here to tell you that I was summoned by Indra a little while ago and I'm heading to meet her now. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

"I'll pass, but thanks."

Alessia turned on her heel and walked back to the door that would take her back into the infirmary. She started to think about all the ways she could get Doctor Griffin to allow her to spend the rest of the day inside, which wasn't that hard because she remembered there were going to be quite a few contraceptive removals later that she was sure would have Dr. Griffin needing some serious help in the emergency room. But before she could enter, Kane called out to her over his shoulder.

"I think it may be about Clarke!"

It stopped her dead in her tracks. Alessia's hands froze on the handle into the room, and slowly she processed the words. Clarke. It made sense actually, seeing as this was the first time in three months that Kane had been called by Indra to meet. No one at Arkadia had heard from Clarke since she went MIA after Mount Weather. The thought of her best friend lying in a ditch somewhere being scavenged by the wild panthers in the jungle had her up all night.

Slowly, she turned around. An Arker walked past them, and Kane gave the civilian a small smile before stepping closer to his daughter and lowering his voice. "I know you don't like to go outside the border, but you know Indra wouldn't want to meet me if it wasn't important. She knows that Clarke's on the top of our priority list."

Alessia swallowed hard trying to decide what to do. Her father was right, she really hated to go outside the border. She hadn't been outside the border in two months, actually. But she also knew that if she weren't to go outside of the border and something happened to Clarke, she would never forgive herself. She had to find her for the sake of her own sanity.

She nodded steadily. "O-Okay. I'll come with you."

"I knew you would."

She didn't say anything. She let her father lead her away from the infirmary so they could meet Indra out in the woods and find out what was wrong.

* * *

"You really should have taken a weapon, Alessia," Kane commented as he and his daughter brushed past a bushy tree on their way to the meeting point to see Indra. Alessia tripped over a branch, but caught herself mid-air. Damn, she was really out of practice with being out in the wild; it was definitely unlike her. Kane turned back to look at his child as she stared at her feet and walked. "What the hell are you doing?"

She looked up at him and brushed a branch out of her face. "What do you mean what am I doing? I'm walking."

"You're looking down at your feet. Don't you remember? I've always told you not to look down at your feet. You lose your most important defense: confidence."

Alessia grimaced. There was the father she knew and...frankly, didn't love. "Sorry, Dad."

Before they had a chance to escalate the conversation any further, Alessia and Kane stopped in the middle of the forest where they saw Indra and another Grounder standing before them. It took her a moment, but as they drew closer, she recognized exactly who that Grounder is, and once she did, she realized that it was too late for them to go back. Takeo and Indra spotted them almost immediately.

"Oh, hell no!" she objected as soon as she reached the Grounders waiting for them. Indra stared at Alessia as she gave Takeo the meanest look she could muster. Takeo sighed and stiffened, knowing that she was furious with him. "I did not come here to speak to you. How could you even think that it was okay to come out here? You have no right!"

"I asked Takeo to come with me," Indra defended him. Alessia crossed her arms as the Grounder warrior pointed out, "We had no way of knowing you were coming along with your father."

"This is about Clarke, right?" Alessia inquired. Indra hesitated for a moment, but at last ended up nodding her head carefully. Kane's daughter straightened and held her chin high. "Then you should have known I would be here."

"Actually, we haven't known anything about you recently, Skaigada." The teenager threw Takeo a bitter look as he spoke to her, apologetically but still standing his ground. "You haven't been outside Arkadia in nearly two months."

"I'm fully aware of that."

Kane sighed and interrupted Takeo and Alessia's stare down to look at Indra, nodding to her respectfully. "Did you find Clarke?"

"We haven't. Although I suggest we do, and fast. You need to know something." Indra and Takeo looked at each other, sharing a mutual glance at each other before Indra turned back to Kane and looked between the commander and his daughter as she tried to put it into words. "Clarke is being hunted."

"Hunted?" Marcus repeated. Indra nodded to him gently.

"The Ice Nation believes that she wields the power of all the lives she took at Mount Weather. The Commander and I are afraid the Ice Queen's greed will cause the coalition to collapse. Ice Nation never believed in the coalition to begin with, and this gives them the perfect excuse to wage a war against the clans."

"That's ridiculous!" Alessia proclaimed as she stared incredulously at Indra. "I killed them, too. You know that. No one's hunting me."

"That's because, as I said before," Takeo began, earning Alessia's attention by locking her eyes with his, "you have not been outside of Arkadia in two months. The rumors have only gone so far as holding Clarke accountable for the deaths in the Mountain. If you had remained in control of Arkadia, there is no doubt that a kill order would have been out for you as well."

She squared her jaw at him. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing you decided to betray me. Wouldn't want you on the wrong side of a kill order now, would we?"

"That's enough, Alessia," Kane muttered under his breath before stepping to the side with Indra to speak alone. She watched her father cross his arms at the Grounder warrior and talk more urgently, and after a while, she turned her eyes back over to look at Takeo, who frowned.

"It was not a betrayal."

"You acted like you were my friend. You did all of those things for me to gain my trust and then you walked away with your Commander like my friendship held no value to you at all. Float me if I didn't come here with forgiveness slapped to my forehead after what you did to me!"

"It did and it still does, Skaigada. I am your friend, but I am Trikru first. Would you have stayed for me and betrayed the rest of your people if our positions had been reversed?" he proposed. Alessia shrugged.

"Who the hell knows, okay? We don't live in an alternate universe and I'm sick of people asking me what it would've been like if x, y, and z did or didn't happen!" He watched her as she frustratedly sighed and brushed a piece of fallen hair out of her face to clear herself of the distraction. Deciding not to spend another second with Takeo alone, she walked over to Kane and Indra just as her father pulled out a radio.

"Rover 1, come in. Repeat, Rover 1, come in. Bellamy, where are you?"

Alessia's head snapped up instantly as she heard the dreaded name. Her heart began to race out of her chest as she stepped closer to her father with wild eyes. Kane turned to her as she hissed, "Why are you radioing Bellamy? What has he got to do with anything?"

"He's out on a mapping run around Sector 7. I think it would be best if he meet us in Sector 4 so we can figure this out together. We need to find Clarke and we can use all the help we can get. He has the rover."

Before she could say anything, the radio in Kane's hand buzzed and Bellamy's rough voice was on the line. It was strange, hearing him so close to her. She hadn't spoken a word to him since they split up, and consequently hadn't heard the sound of his voice since. _"Sector 7. We had to shoot three Ice Nation scouts." _

"Leave them. You need to report to Sector 4 immediately."

"I can't believe this," Alessia muttered under her breath as she stepped off to the side. This was a part of her father's stupid plan to throw her into the wild so that she could gain her confidence and her boyfriend back. It wasn't going to work, and she hoped he knew that. Ten minutes outside of Arkadia's gates wouldn't change the fear and pain that had taken over her soul. Seeing Alessia in distress, Takeo stepped over to her and raised an eyebrow, concerned.

"Isn't Bellamy your boyfriend?"

"Not anymore."

_"Culvert, Sector 4, copy. Can you tell me what's going on?" _

"When you get here. Over and out."

Kane tucked his radio away and turned to Indra so they could continue their conversation without distraction. Takeo as well turned to Alessia and tried to understand what she was saying.

"The last time we spoke, you had chosen him..."

It was after he'd said the words that he realized they had come out all wrong. Alessia's eyes snapped up furiously to lock in on his as she growled. "Yeah? And also the last time we spoke, we had been friends. A lot can happen in three months. Or, in your case, three freaking minutes!"

As Takeo tried to respond, Indra and Kane stepped into their secluded area to interrupt their conversation without realizing of what importance it was. Kane sighed and looked between the Grounder and his daughter. "We should get moving. Bellamy should be here in ten minutes at most."

"You set me up," Alessia accused him, disregarding the fact that Indra and Takeo were standing beside the father-daughter duo without much information as to why she was so upset, nor did Indra particularly care. Kane let out a frustrated breath at his child and looked at her disinterestedly.

"No, Alessia. I didn't. If you feel so strongly about not seeing Bellamy, you are more than welcome to turn back to Arkadia. As much as I disapprove of it, I won't stop you."

The brunette crossed her arms over her chest, but instead of replying to her father, her eyes flickered over to Indra with a hard, stern look. She straightened and lifted her head as she asked the warrior, "Do you have any idea where Clarke is?"

Indra shrugged her shoulders softly. "I can't say anything for certain, but I have my suspicions."

"Do you think we can find her? Today?"

"I believe that one girl cannot hide forever." Alessia could sense the annoyance in Indra's tone. "So, yes. I think we can find her. Maybe even today if we move fast."

Everything inside of her was telling her to turn around. The broken pieces within her wanted to run back to the infirmary as fast as she could whilst looking down at her feet so that she could go and save enough lives in order to forget the pain that gnawed away her senses inside. But she was ripped in half, as the other part that was buried underneath all of that numbness and pain wanted her to stay and fight for her friend. But one thing was for sure: both Alessias within knew that not rescuing Clarke was not an option. After everything Clarke had done for her and after everything she had done to mess it up, Clarke deserved better than to deal with the scared, broken Alessia that had taken control over her.

Alessia's eyes dropped to the grass quietly before she turned and sighed. "Let's go meet Bellamy, then."

* * *

Alessia tried not to pace too much as she heard the Rover pull up underneath the bridge a few yards away from where Indra, Takeo, and Kane were standing. Indra and Kane were speaking softly about their plan while Alessia turned up and down the narrow space while biting down on her nail in her mouth nervously. It had been a month and a half since she'd been in the same vicinity as Bellamy, and in one single day she had to be near him twice. She could handle the morning with Gina, primarily because he wouldn't dare to look at her while he was standing just a few inches away from his new girlfriend, but out in the wild she knew that there was a very high probability everything would go horribly wrong. And on top of the fear that consumed her concerning her ex, a deafening panic settled over her as she realized what she had done. Rescuing Clarke would involve putting herself back into the realm of danger. She didn't wake up in the morning knowing that she would be fighting bad guys again—she wasn't ready.

Indra, Takeo, and Kane stepped out of the bushes, and Alessia suddenly realized she had no other choice. As Kane rushed out in front of everyone and Bellamy explained to Monty who was following him, Bellamy noticed Alessia trailing anxiously behind. His eyes flickered over her for a moment. He was beyond confused, not only wondering why Alessia had shown up with Kane to scold him about breaking the truce but also because he knew she hadn't been outside of Arkadia in two months because she'd been too afraid to step over the line. Nevertheless, he refocused himself and turned to Kane just as the older man approached his side.

"Um...Sir, before you say anything, there was a good reason—"

Kane held up his hand dismissively. "We'll deal with that later. This is about Clarke."

Bellamy cocked an eyebrow and looked over at Monty for a split second before turning back nervously. Suddenly, it made sense why Alessia had finally put her toe over the line, and he hated to admit it, but it was starting to get to him. Of course it was about Clarke, because he would never understand the unspoken bond that tied the two together since Mount Weather. Alessia had made sure he knew that, loud and clear. "What about her?"

"She's being hunted," Indra informed them. A puzzled look overcame Monty's face.

"By who?"

"By everyone."

* * *

She had never really been much of a nail-biter. It was funny, actually, thinking about the fact that she had become so nervous and paranoid that she was biting down on her nails. She used to remember making fun of those shy, awkward type girls in her classes back on the Ark that would bite their nails or toy with their hair nervously while making speeches for projects and things of that nature. It had never once crossed Alessia's mind that merely a few years later she would be paranoid and scared of riding in heavy machinery out in the open where there was a seventy-five percent chance she could kick the bucket.

Yet, she wasn't the only one nervous. Granted, it was for different reasons, but both Indra and Takeo sat across from Alessia and her father looking nervously at each other as the rover moved over the rough terrain. Kane noticed their uneasiness and attempted to smooth things over with one of his Kane-like charming smiles.

"I'm still getting used to it myself," he commented. Indra nodded at him, but before they could say anything else, Monty breathed out heavily from the driver's seat.

"Sir, we're almost out of range," the teenager warned wearily as he glanced from the radar beside him to the road in front of him. "Are you sure you don't wanna tell the Chancellor?"

"I'm sure. I don't wanna worry Abby until we know something."

"We know there's a kill order," Bellamy muttered sourly from the passenger seat of the vehicle. But he wasn't much of the passive-aggressive type, of course. Two seconds later, he inhaled and chastised openly, "You people are big on those."

"It's not a kill order, it's a bounty," Indra explained. "Clarke's a symbol. She's known as Wanheda. The Commander of Death."

Alessia paused the biting of her nails as she watched Bellamy's eyebrows turn up confusedly and he cocked his head so that he was almost turning around to look at the passengers in the back. He still did not look at her, of course, but she was more interested in what he was saying. "The Ice Nation guys we killed asked about Wanheda. They're looking for Clarke. Why?"

"Some creepy Grounder legend, per usual," Alessia murmured. No one else was supposed to hear, but she could see Bellamy's eyes drift over his shoulder quickly to look at her. When he saw her looking at him, too, he removed his eyes just as quickly, as did she. Takeo leaned forward on his knees and continued, ignoring Alessia's comment.

"Our people believe that when you kill someone, you gain their power. As Wanheda, Clarke is believed to wield the power of death after the incident at the Mountain. Kill Wanheda, become the Commander of Death."

"She's just one girl," Kane argued.

"So was the Commander," Indra fired back. "What Clarke did at Mount Weather weakened her. The Ice Nation is emboldened. Their Queen wants Clarke's power. If her people believe she has it, they'll break the coalition to start a war. As I said before, they had no regard for the coalition in the first place. I will not let them start a war against my people."

Kane stared at Indra as he deciphered what she was saying, but before he could say anything else, there was a beeping on Monty's radar. He glanced at it for a moment before taking in a deep breath.

"Welcome to Sector 7. Where to now?"

"If she's here, she'll need supplies," Indra thought aloud. "We'll start at the trading posts."

Monty nodded cautiously and moved his foot to step on the accelerator, launching them faster and further into the Ice Nation's territory.

* * *

Slowly, the day disintegrated into night, which had Alessia more on edge than she had been to begin with. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself, but the there were two people in the rover with her that knew her more than anyone else did. One of them stared at her through the rearview mirror, but said nothing. The other touched her knee softly and spoke so quietly only she could hear.

"Please take my handgun, Alessia," her father whispered. Alessia swallowed thickly and shook her head.

"No."

From the front, she could hear Bellamy's soft scoff in the back of his throat. Her eyes flickered to him as he looked out the window with a disappointed gaze, one that she knew all too well. If they weren't in a car full of people, she would've said something. Or maybe she wouldn't have. At that point, she really didn't know.

After that, most of the car ride was silent. Monty continued driving at top speed, hitting a few bumps here and there, but nothing was more significant than when he slammed his foot on the breaks, launching everyone forward as the car came to an abrupt stop. When the car was finally stationary, Monty looked up to find the huge fallen tree that was blocking their path and then turned to Bellamy.

"We have to move it."

Bellamy nodded and he braced to exit the rover, but Indra intervened.

"Wait." Her eyes turned to Kane. "It's been cut down."

"You don't know that." Bellamy ignored her completely and climbed over his seat into the back, where he grabbed his gun firmly in his hand and opened the roof so that he could peer out and scope the territory before sending everyone outside to help clear the way. In the dim illumination from the rover's headlights, Bellamy looked around cautiously to see if there were people surrounding them. He was just about to clear them, but before he did, he heard a sound coming from behind them. Looking to his right, he watched as a nearby tree started to plummet to the ground, clearly having been cut down. Bellamy ducked right as the tree landed with an earth-shattering crash, launching him in the small space just beside Alessia, who had crashed into her father with the shake. When it was over, Indra glared at the dark-haired Blake.

"We do now."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**RHatch89: **Thank you :)

**RellaRose100: **Awww no lol don't cry! It'll all get better, although these first few episodes will be very emotional, but we'll still have some glimpses of good stuff in there. Haha I don't think anyone will really like _this _surprise I have for Season 3, but I promise that Alessia and Bellamy's issues will not last forever, per usual. You have so much faith in me, thank you so much for the support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Audrie-13: **Lol I think maybe you missed out on the chapter before by accident or something haha but it doesn't matter now. Thank you so much! I really hope you're enjoying Season 3. LOLOL YES that's actually my favorite part of the whole chapter. I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for the review.

**Bee-back: **thank you!

**Samantha: **Aw well I hope this one was a bit better (although let's be honest here still emotional haha). Yeah, she'll be a bit broken for a while, but I think it's important that Alessia learns to fix herself on this one. I hope you're enjoying Season 3 so far! So much more to come! Thanks for the review.

**Samantha: **Actually it's funny you say that because we we definitely be seeing that side of Alessia and Bellamy again. Since Calix is gone and it's really more about Alessia and Bellamy's relationship that's giving them a hard time, they're going to be forced to find their way back to the season 1-type relationship they had and I'm super excited about it! Thanks for reviewing!

**pureO: **Thank you so much! It's been so long since I've gotten to respond to your reviews lol I'm so happy you decided to leave a comment last chapter. Season 3 is going to be an emotional rollercoaster and although Bellamy and Alessia aren't really together, there are a lot of factors that are going to go into Bellamy's deal with Pike. So I am so happy you decided to leave a bit of constructive criticism there because that was actually something I seriously considered when writing the finale. I ended up deciding not to make Bellamy pull the lever because I feel that although the guilt furthered his character development, I still wasn't happy with the way it turned out in Season 3. It was almost as if Bellamy felt guilty for Mount Weather but then decided to massacre a bunch of Grounders with no remorse whatsoever until Lincoln was killed. For the sake of his story, I thought that his character development could be better expressed if he and Alessia were on different levels of guilt so that they could better understand each other and what it means to be "together" in a world like theirs. I'm hoping that is pretty clear once we get into the logistics of their split and again once they start making amends to each other and to other people. I hope this cleared up any doubts that you had about the decision, but once again thank you for reviewing and for the kind words and the constructive criticism! It's always nice to hear from you :)

**caymanislands: **Thank you! It's gonna be one hell of a ride, but I think Alessia and Bellamy's relationship will be better for it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**GraceTM86: **Aw thanks so much. I really try to make sure that Alessia doesn't take over when she shouldn't (sometimes it doesn't work out so well but I'm glad that you thought so last chapter). Yeah, I figured that it would be kinda crappy of her to push Bellamy away then, but unfortunately something has obviously happened to them during this three-month break that has pulled them apart, but they will find their way back to each other eventually! Here's the chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reviewing.


	31. Wanheda: Part 2

**Merry (somewhat belated) Christmas/Happy Hanukkah to everyone out there. I was planning to do this as a Christmas present but I ended up finishing it just now, a few minutes past midnight so it is technically not Christmas. Still, it's here. **

**A lot of you have been asking about what's been happening with this chapter and it was the stupidest thing. I found a typo on another chapter and so I fixed it, but when I went to replace the chapter I accidentally replaced this chapter with that one. So, basically it was like episode 2x09 was on this chapter but I didn't have another copy of this chapter to fix it. So that's my story. And so I had to delete it and rewrite it. It's a bit different now...a little bit more Bellessia and a lot more angsty towards the end. I don't know if I like it but here it is so yeah. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot.**

* * *

**Wanheda**

**Part 2**

"It's been three hours. What are they waiting for?"

"Even with the light, I don't see anyone."

"I say we make a run for it."

"No, that's what they want us to do."

Alessia listened to Kane, Monty, and Bellamy inside of the darkened vehicle, where they managed to barricade themselves in front of the door and shut the blinds, lying in wait for whoever was outside to make the first mood. Kane and Bellamy both had their guns stuck between the blinds, their fingers tapping the trigger in anticipation of some action, as the morning light had already dawned on them. Alessia, however, had managed to stick herself in the corner, her foot tapping anxiously on the ground as she ran her fingers up and down her thigh. She could feel the moisture on her hand as they strategized around her.

"The boy is right," Indra remarked, looking at Monty and then back at Kane. "They can wait longer than we can."

Bellamy turned to the blinds and looked outside. There was no telling how many of them were outside waiting for them. There could be tens, there could be hundreds. But Kane realized, as well, that Monty had made a good point. The Commander turned to his right-hand man.

"Okay, Bellamy. You get in the turret and you cover us." He looked outside and pointed through the blinds. "Once we get to that ridge over there, we'll cover you."

Alessia looked up nervously. This was too much. This was exactly what she'd hoped to avoid.

"Copy that." Blake zipped up his jacket, gripped his gun, and started to lean away towards the turret. "Run fast."

"Bell..." Alessia started, but it was too low for him to hear. She gave up halfway through, like something inside of her told her to let Bellamy do what he needed to do. After all, they hadn't spoken in three weeks. What gave her the right? Without hearing her, he lifted himself out of the turret, his weapon hot. But the second he lifted himself into the open air, he was caught by the opposition.

"They're here," Bellamy informed them, his voice deep. Kane pointed his gun out of the turret, but the masked figure above them had a knife to Bellamy's throat.

"Everybody out or the boy dies."

Before they had a chance to answer, the attacker yanked Bellamy out of the turret and threw him onto the ground. Kane, his eyes widening, had no other choice.

"Okay! Okay, we're coming out! Don't hurt him!" he shouted. He and everybody else (excluding Alessia, that was) disarmed themselves as Kane opened the doors of the vehicle. He barely let the sunlight in before they were all attacked, the door ripped open and each of them yanked outside. A rush of fear came over Alessia as someone climbed inside of the vehicle and grabbed her. She didn't realize it until seconds later, but her body froze up and from her mouth came a bloodcurdling scream. She was thrown outside, the dirt spilling into her mouth as she face-planted onto the ground. Subsequently, her screams halted and she could hear the grunts of the others around them. But while they fought for their freedom, she could feel her blood run cold and every limb inside of her locked when someone came around behind her and grabbed her wrists. It was a hold that, had she been the way she was before, could have possibly slipped out of. But seeing her fear, her assailant did not use the excessive force that was necessary for the others.

"All targets secure!" One of the attackers informed the rest, and in a moment, they yanked Monty up from the ground with a chokehold on him. One of their enemies in front of him grabbed the blinking red transmitter and held it in front of his face. The teenage boy was not pleased.

"It's mine! Give it back!"

"Monty, let it go!" Bellamy instructed from his position on the ground. Suddenly, in the middle of their struggles, there was a soft voice from one of the masked attackers.

"Monty?" Everyone froze, including the insubordinate teenager they were holding against his will. He looked over to his right to see a woman in disguise, but he the voice let him see beyond the mask. He would know that voice anywhere.

"Mom?" She didn't waste any time. Hannah Green quickly removed her mask, her eyes widening at the sight of her son a few feet away from him. Her breathing was heavy as the man holding Monty hostage slowly let him go, realizing it was safe. As his mother stared, open-mouthed and entirely relieved to see him alive, Monty stepped forward and launched himself into his mother's arms, grateful for her warmth.

"I knew it," she whispered into his ear as they reunited, and it caused the teenager to break down into tears. The attackers holding Alessia, Kane, Indra, Bellamy, and Takeo hostage all looked at each other out of confusion.

The man who had taken Bellamy from the turret jumped down and announced, "Farm Station, stand down."

Kane immediately recognized the commanding voice behind him, so he turned around onto his back with the same surprised eyes Monty's mother had. "Pike?"

Looming over him, Charles Pike removed his mask and smiled down at the old Commander.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you!" He laughed and helped Kane up from the ground, albeit with a grunt of pain. They hugged, happy to see each other again. But those still holding Bellamy, Indra, Takeo, and Alessia were still being held at gunpoint, or at the tip of a knife. Kane looked at Pike with disbelief.

"Lacroix, Smith, watch our six! Everyone else, I said stand down."

Alessia felt the assailant behind her slowly back away, but she was far too paralyzed to move. While Bellamy, Indra, and Takeo brushed themsleves off, she was still lying on the ground, face first, in a sort of frozen fear. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she was sure her breathing was louder than the sounds in the forest. If it had gone on any longer, she was sure someone would notice, but luckily for her, Takeo saw her in shock. He didn't say anything, all he did was reach down and turn her slightly before picking her up and setting her on her feet. She stumbled for a moment, drowning in her anxiety. She could feel his eyes searching hers for some indication that she was still there, but she needed a few minutes to calm down. Finally, her eyes moved and she looked over at him, a look of shameful gratuity in her eyes. He said nothing and turned back to Indra to make sure she was okay. Alessia removed her eyes quickly to see Monty pull away from his mother, confused.

"Where's dad?"

Everyone went silent at the question, Pike and Kane included. Hannah looked down at the ground and tried to say the next words without tears in her eyes. "Your father didn't make it."

Monty didn't really need her to say much more. He just stepped forward and hugged his mom again, this time because he needed something to help the pain that he had been hit with. Alessia closed her eyes and tried not to panic. One day outside the walls and there was already more death.

Kane turned and looked at Pike, his hands on his hips in a very Commander-like way. "How many of you are there?"

"Sixty-three. The rest are camped in a mountain north of here. Grounder killers one and all. Am I right?"

"Hoo-hah!" Farm Station soldiers cooed back at their leader, causing a very uncomfortable situation to arise. Indra and Takeo looked around cautiously as everyone's eyes involuntarily floated to them, the obvious Grounders. But nothing happened, as Bellamy interrupted with urgency directed at Kane.

"Hate to cut this short. We've gotta find Clarke." Pike turned to Bellamy, his eyebrow raised.

"Clarke Griffin?" Bellamy nodded. Pike smiled. "If only all of my Earth Skills students were as good as her."

Alessia watched as an unusual smile came over Bellamy's face. It was strange; she hadn't seen a smile like that on his face in months. It almost made her smile, if she weren't standing in the middle of a forest covered in dirt surrounded by people with loaded and deadly weapons. Besides, it wasn't her place to be happy for him anymore. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

"It's good to see you, Sir."

"You, too." Bellamy reached forward and shook Charles's hand as their reunion, but before they could indulge a bit more, Kane nodded and pointed to the fallen tree in their path.

"Okay. Move the tree."

Pike turned around with a nod to his team. "Help them!"

Bellamy and Monty went off running at the fallen tree to lift it out of their path with the aid of the Farm Station crew. Meanwhile, Kane turned to his daughter, as if he'd only just remembered that she was there. He turned away from Pike and placed a hand on his daughter's arm, noticing her visible flinch at the contact. Kane thought to himself, _I should say something_, but no words came out of his mouth. He watched her as she shook and realized quickly that none of this was okay. And no matter how badly he wanted to be his old self again and tell her to get over herself and do this for her friend, to tell her that this wasn't the way Kanes acted, he didn't want to take five-hundred steps back so soon after he'd earned her trust for the first time since she was an ignorant child. So he bit his tongue and turned back around to Pike, realizing that his daughter couldn't stay any longer.

"Sixty-three?" he asked, trying to get a feel of the situation. Pike nodded. "Farm Station left over with three times that number.

"We landed with that number, too." Pike's head unconsciously turned towards Indra and Takeo, who realized quickly why they were so against Grounders. Indra lifted her head and tried to remain calm in the presence of enemies.

"The Ice Nation can be ruthless. Take pride in the number you saved," she offered.

"Indra," Kane began, facilitating the piece between the two feuding leaders. "This is Charles Pike. He was a teacher on the Ark. This is Indra and Takeo. Takeo is a warrior with Trikru, the clan Indra leads. She is our most trusted ally."

Pike did not break the icy eye contact he kept with Indra. "I'll have to take your word for it."

Before things could get more intense, Kane heard Bellamy call out from across the way. "Kane, it's time to go!"

Kane nodded and turned to Monty, who was walking up beside them. "Monty, give them the coordinates to Arkadia. Alessia, lead them back and tell Abby we found survivors from the Ark."

Just as she was about to agree with Kane's orders, already feeling the panic within her bloodstream subside, she heard someone fall short a few feet away from her and turn with a scoff. It only took her a few moments to realize it was Bellamy, who turned his head back and looked at her with the most disappointed look on his face. It was the look he had given her so many times after what had happened at Mount Weather. She'd always hated that look. Despite the fear that lived and thrived inside of her skin, there was a part of her still left over from before causing her blood to boil with rage. Kane noticed his judgement and gave the boy a condescending glare.

"Is there a problem, Blake?"

Bellamy's eyes flickered from Alessia's to Kane's, where he shook his head and ran his tongue along his teeth, almost biting back a laugh. "No problem, Sir."

With that said, he spun around and walked back to the vehicle. Kane turned to look at his daughter, who was staring after Bellamy with a newfound sense of vengeance on her face. Her eyes turned to her father, where she straightened.

"I need to find Clarke," she affirmed. Kane couldn't resist the corners of his mouth turning up. He nodded slowly and turned back to Pike to give him further instructions while she walked off to the vehicle. Pike instructed his team to take the rest of those left from Farm Station to Arkadia while he and Hannah would go with Kane and the others to find Clarke. Alessia found Bellamy just as he opened the door to the front of the car, watching her approach the vehicle. They caught eyes, but all she did was take Takeo's hand and lift herself into the back. Bellamy dropped his eyes. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel bad for being such a dick to her, but he couldn't help the way he felt.

And in the distance, Alessia could hear Pike call out, "Mount up! We're going back into hell."

* * *

Despite her moment and a half of bravery back in the forest, when the time came, Alessia didn't really know what she was thinking. They had made their way north of the border, to where Clarke was last seen according to Indra. It was a small hut, a trade shop. Alessia hung back, unarmed and completely vulnerable to any attack. No matter how much her father tried to convince her, she didn't dare touch a weapon, even though she could see Bellamy's visible distaste for it. She didn't care. She wasn't ready.

"The Alessia I remember would've had three guns on her," Pike commented at a whisper as they moved towards the shack. Monty overheard him and saw Alessia right as she dropped her eyes and tightened her hand into a fist, as if resisting the urge inside of her to say something. Much like Bellamy, Monty didn't agree with Alessia's actions after Mount Weather, but he understood them. And, luckily for her, he wasn't as hurt as Bellamy was over the whole ordeal. So she still had someone on her side.

"Things have changed," Monty said curtly, ending the conversation then and there as Bellamy led the group into the trade shop, weapon hot. The moment he came into the doorway, his weapon fired. The sound of the gunshot caused Alessia to flinch, the sound triggering terrible memories in her mind. She suppressed them as long as she could while they all stepped inside the shop, on the lookout for more Ice Nation Grounders.

"Are you okay? You all right?" Bellamy inquired as he lowered his gun right as a girl, battered and bloody, got up from the floor on the offense. Seeing that these people had just saved her, she relaxed a bit. Indra loomed over the Grounder that Bellamy shot in the back and looked over at the wounded girl.

"Bounty hunter," she concluded before walking over to the other Grounder, where she conversed with her in their native language. "Yu hon yu in osir sisplei."

"English!" Pike boomed angrily, as if there was something being kept from them, when in all reality, Indra was just informing the other Grounder that they were there to help her. Kane, realizing the conflict of interest on Pike's part, snapped his head back with an order.

"Pike, go outside. Take Monty and Hannah and search the perimeter." Kane gestured to the dead Ice Nation grounder on the floor. "Make sure he was alone."

Although Pike knew it was a way to get him out of the room so they could talk without the hostility, he begrudgingly took Monty and Hannah with him to scout the perimeter. Alessia let them walk by and slowly floated into the room, her knuckles turning white as she saw the death in front of her. It took everything inside of her not to scream.

"Osir ste lufa Wanheda au_. [We're looking for Wanheda.]_" Takeo looked at the wounded Grounder for answers, but all the girl did was turn to the bounty hunter on the floor with disgust in her eyes. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and glanced around the room, her eyes filled with pain.

"So was he," she said, communicating with everyone in the room. As Bellamy heard her speak English, he took it as his own opportunity to converse with her. Obviously, this girl knew something.

"Please," he begged. "She's in danger."

"You're Sky Crew."

"Yeah."

"She was here last night," the girl told them truthfully, realizing they were trustworthy. Bellamy tried to figure out a reason why the Grounder would trust them enough with Clarke's location, but he didn't have time to dwell. But just as he began to look around the shop for any sort of clues to her whereabouts, there was another voice.

"Do you know where she went?" Alessia pressed, stepping forward suddenly. Kane, Indra, and Takeo all turned their heads towards her as she looked right into the survivor's battered eyes, looking with as much sympathy as she could possibly muster. Bellamy let his eyes wander over to her, too, and realized suddenly that he'd never seen her look at someone else like that. It was almost like she was trying to hold herself together, trying to figure out what to do, while also realizing that there was a girl that was almost killed in front of her. Like, for some inexplicable reason, she felt like it was her fault. Truth be told, Bellamy wasn't surprised. The girl seemed to notice her anxiousness as well, so she tried to phrase it in the best possible way.

"No. She was here when I fell asleep, and gone when I woke up."

"She give you any indication of where she might go?" Marcus pressed further, looking around the shop as well. The Grounder shook her head.

"No. But he did." She let her eyes wander to the bounty hunter on the floor, the one that had been shot. Everyone followed her gaze as she explained. "He said that his partner came back for her. It was Ice Nation." The girl looked over at Alessia, who had avoided looking at the dead Grounder on the floor. With the upmost sincerity, she said, "I hope you find her."

Alessia nodded slowly, shielding her eyes. Before anyone could say anything, there was another voice in the room. Monty appeared, his breath heavy.

"Good news. I found fresh tracks."

Kane and Bellamy stepped up to him, Bellamy being the first one to give the order. "Great. Start the Rover."

Monty sighed. "That's the bad news. Too many trees. We have to go on foot."

Kane and Bellamy looked at each other, realizing that this would be a very long and dangerous outing. But for Clarke, it had to be done. Indra and Takeo followed them out, as did Monty, and Alessia, too. But before she left, Alessia turned around to the Grounder behind them and nodded.

"Thank you."

Right as she said the words, she turned around and walked out of the shack, following the rest of her people in a desperate attempt to find her friend. The sun was at the top of the sky, beating down on all of them as they trekked through the forest and across the river, following the tracks Monty spotted. Eventually, as it turned just past high noon, they found themselves wandering through a field of high weeds. Being without a gun, Alessia was in charge of the supplies they'd grabbed from the Rover just in case: tent, water, food, extra ammo, etc. She fiddled with her backpack as she heard Pike and Bellamy in front of her.

"Ask you a question?" Pike proposed to the dark-haired adult beside him. Bellamy nodded as the go-ahead. "Last report we got on the Ark, you were under attack by Grounders. What changed?"

Alessia let herself pause for a moment as she looked up to see and hear Bellamy's response. She could see he was struggling. Horrid memories of those days at the drop ship crossed her mind. It felt like that was ages ago, when she was beating herself senseless because she thought Bellamy was dead from the blast. Things really had changed.

"Turns out we had a common enemy."

"What happened to them?" asked Pike. This was a question Bellamy struggled with more, and she could see it. How to explain, how to explain. Alessia cleared her throat behind them, causing both of them to look back at her. She stared, blank-faced at Pike.

"Clarke and I killed them."

"Quiet!" Indra commanded, coming to a halt in the middle of the field. Her hand was raised, an indicator for everyone to freeze in their position and stop talking. She listened to the sound of the forest and could hear a frequency in the distance. "Listen."

Kane turned his head to the direction the sound was coming in. There was a faint banging noise, a very familiar one.

"War drums," he whispered. Indra lowered her hand.

"Azgeda."

"You can tell it's Ice Nation from the sound?" Monty inquired, highly impressed with the Grounder warrior. But from beside him, Takeo shook his head and hit his arm to turn his attention in front of them.

"Not the sound. Them." He pointed towards the dead bodies in front of them, a sight that immediately sparked a panic in everyone. Kane dropped to a knee with his weapon on his chest and Pike followed suit, coming right over to Kane's side.

"We need to get those bodies off the field! Unless you're good with them thinking we did this!"

"Go. Hurry!" Kane instructed.

"Wait. Two people at twelve o'clock," Bellamy announced. Alessia came up behind him to look where he was, but he had the advantage. He pointed his gun towards the movement in the field and looked through the magnifier, only to come up for air with a widened look on his face. Monty realized who it was at the same time, and Alessia stood behind him, clueless. But she wouldn't pick up a gun.

"Who is it?!" Alessia hissed.

"It's Clarke," Bellamy responded, turning back to her with the expression of surprise and relief that came across both of their faces at the same time. Two seconds later, Bellamy was running towards her, but he was stopped by Pike, who stepped in front of him and Monty who stepped beside him. Alessia, too, was halted when the two of them showed up at Bellamy's side. "Get out of my way!"

"You'll never make it in time!" Pike tried to reason with him.

"He's right. Look." Bellamy turned in the direction Monty was looking and looked through the magnifier on his gun to see the Grounder soldiers marching through the field, right through the path Clarke was being taken on. He heard Monty beside him. "No way we'd get across without being seen."

"We should lay low, let the army pass, and then we'll find Clarke," Pike suggested as Bellamy turned his gun to see Clarke one more time. She was with a man, her kidnapper, who was very rugged-looking and mischievous. A skilled Grounder from the Ice Nation, no doubt. He knew he wouldn't be able to get there in time.

"Fuck you," Alessia murmured under her breath as she saw Bellamy seriously consider letting Clarke and her kidnapper get away. A sudden spurt of bravery overcame her as she started to move towards Clarke. Bellamy looked down just as Alessia about took off running in the other direction. Luckily, she had neglected to train while she was wallowing away in her self-pity, and so he easily managed to get his fist around her wrist so tightly that she could not get out of his grasp. He stepped forward as she tried to fight his grasp, struggling so hard he could actually hear the grunts out of her mouth.

"Alessia...Alessia, Alessia knock it off!" Bellamy commanded, his voice booming over hers. She held her wrist tightly to her body and blew a piece of hair out of her eyes as she stared up at him with her face as red as a tomato from fury. He stared back at her with knives in the place of his eyes. "This is _not _the time to start acting brave again."

They were silent for a while, the tension between them so thick it couldn't be cut. Finally, he loosened his grip and she shoved him off of her, but didn't run anywhere. At that point, Clarke was already across the field to the other side of where the soldiers were approaching. Slowly, Bellamy turned around as he heard Monty speak.

"Guys, there's a cave." Bellamy looked over his shoulder to see the cave Monty was referring to, a few yards away but decent enough to hide out in until the troops left the field. Pike nodded.

"We just got lucky. Come on!" Monty and Pike both lunged forward to pick up the Ice Nation bodies that were on the ground to get rid of the evidence. Bellamy reluctantly did so, too, and Alessia did not run off after Clarke like she wanted to. As they did that, Indra turned to Kane with a shake of her head.

"I can't go with you."

"Why?"

"Ice Nation has crossed the border. They're marching against my Commander, I have to warn her."

Kane completely understood. He stepped forward reassuringly. "We'll get Clarke."

"You better. If the Ice Queen gets her first, she'll be dead. And we'll be at war. Takeo!" Indra turned to her side to her warrior, but the warrior looked at her with conflict in his eyes. She was seconds away from moving away from him, but she knew very clearly how much he didn't want to leave. Her eyes cut to Alessia behind her, and then she looked back at Takeo, a snarl on her lips. "If this is the choice you make, you must live with it."

"I can't leave," he determined. She moved away.

"Then die."

Takeo nearly felt his insides being ripped apart by Indra's harsh words, but he had no choice after this. The thing was, he just couldn't leave again. It had taken everything inside of him to leave the first time, and when it was over, it was over. If he left again, she would never forgive him, and he didn't think he could forgive himself for that. So he stayed, his feet planted firmly on the ground. He could see Commander Kane give him a very skeptical look, but said nothing. Takeo lowered his eyes, almost in shame, but in a moment's notice, he helped Monty with one of the Ice Nation bodies and everyone made a run for the cave to hide out until the soldiers were gone.

* * *

"We're losing her," Bellamy pressed as he stormed up to Pike and Kane after pacing in front of the cave a few times, anxious about how far Clarke was getting from them. Kane sighed at him.

"Relax. Save your energy."

"Kane's right, son. The army will move soon. You'll need your strength for what comes next," Pike offered, nodding at Bellamy reassuringly.

Realizing that there was nothing he could do, Bellamy plopped himself down on a rock at the front of the cave and tried to save his strength for when they left so he could hunt down the bastard that took Clarke. Meanwhile, Alessia had to get as far away from Bellamy as possible. It was a mixture of hating him because he had stopped her from going after Clarke and a mixture of pain seeing the way he'd looked at her before. She didn't know what it meant because it was the first time he'd actually looked at her and said _something _in the past few weeks. So she was tapping her leg anxiously against the floor as she leaned up against the rock wall of a little alcove far enough away from the other people that were with her. She'd made it clear that she wanted to be alone, but apparently she didn't make it clear enough. Takeo came over to her and rested against the wall beside her, exhaling softly. He didn't say anything, though, and she sort of appreciated it. But the silence between them was killing her.

"You didn't leave with Indra." It was meant to be a question, but posed as a statement. Takeo turned his head to look at her, but found she wasn't looking at him. Still, he admired her features. It hurt him, how she didn't turn to face him as well.

"I didn't," he said, offering no explanation. And then, by some miracle, he found himself staring into her eyes when she turned her head to look at him and eye contact with him, the first he'd gotten since she yelled at him when he arrived. There was even a soft smile resting at the corners of her lips, as if she was silently forgiving him for what he'd done, even though it cost him everything.

"I need to know what happened. Please." They heard from the other end of the cave, from Monty to his mother. Hannah looked at him with choked back tears.

"We landed in the snow," she began, and everyone turned to her with their full attention invested in her. Monty stared at his mother as he watched her struggle with her words, waiting for her to give him in the answer he so desperately needed. "Your father said it absorbed some of the impact. That's why we survived. The snow looked...so...beautiful...and...Charles?"

When she couldn't handle it anymore, when the tears were rushing down her face, Charles was forced to take over. Alessia found her heart pounding, her eyes full of water as she listened to the story and watched Monty's mother sob.

"The children were playing in it," Charles continued, sitting down next to Hannah with a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "They were the first to die. Fifteen of them. If not for your father, would have been more. He pulled four kids back into the ship. All four alive today. They got him when he went back for the fifth. Your father died a hero, Monty. We've been fighting Grounders ever since."

As Monty sobbed, Charles looked over at Takeo, who stiffened at the sight of the daggers being thrown at him. He suddenly felt like everyone shifted their looks toward him in the room, and he was starting to question whether or not it was a safe decision staying to protect Alessia. But then, Kane stepped in.

"That was the Ice Nation. Not all Grounders are the same."

Pike let his gaze linger on Takeo for a moment before he turned at Kane and shook his head. "They are to me."

And after that, everyone really went silent. Kane came over to be with Takeo to make sure that the Grounder that chose to stay with them wasn't feeling uncomfortably in Charles' presence, and to also remind Pike that Takeo was their friend and he would be protected just like anyone else. Meanwhile, Alessia found herself looking around for Bellamy, but she knew where he would be. She discreetly walked over to the entrance of the cave and turned the corner, watching as Bellamy stripped off clothes from one of the Ice Nation Grounders' dead bodies. Her eyes widened, but he brought a finger up to his lips to shush her. Slowly, she walked forward and kneeled down to whisper to him.

"Are you insane? You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Do you want to save Clarke or not?" Bellamy hissed at her. She hesitated for a moment, and then he scoffed. "Right. Your stunt out there almost made me forget for a second. You want to save Clarke, but you don't have it in you to do anything anymore. Am I right?"

"We have had enough hostility today to last a lifetime," she snapped. "I am here because I chose to be. I am here because I want to save Clarke, whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes? So you'll go back in there and grab another gun from Kane, then?" he repeated snidely. She frowned, an obvious sign of protest. Bellamy stared at her blankly for a moment before shaking his head. "Didn't think so. So just back off and let me do what I need to do."

Alessia watched as Bellamy took the Ice Nation Grounder's overcoat and threw it over himself, grabbing the sword that the Grounder carried on him. In a flash, he was gone, leaving Alessia alone with Bellamy's Ark jacket and his gun that was lying on the floor. But he was right. She couldn't touch that gun for the life of her, otherwise she would lose it. She just wasn't ready, no matter who she was saving.

But that didn't mean she was ready to give up so easily. As Bellamy rushed his way through the field, Alessia bent down by the other Ice Nation body and ripped off the soldier's garb, throwing it around herself the way Bellamy had. She grabbed the sword that was in the soldier's hand, but mounted it on the belt and didn't touch it. All she could hope was that no one would attack her, for she couldn't use it on anyone anymore. She was sure to die if she was made, so all she could do was hope it didn't come to that. Not long after Bellamy left, she took off after him, following at a safe distance behind. For the life of her, she had to prove him wrong. She could save Clarke, and she could do it her way.

She watched him through the field, and her heart almost stopped when an Ice Nation soldier stopped him quickly and turned him the other way. But then the Grounder left and Bellamy veered off, and Alessia did the same, letting out a sigh of relief. Once they were safe on the other side of the field, she followed Bellamy as he followed the tracks they were given. She moved forward, but came to a stop when she saw Bellamy standing over a secret tunnel. Her foot landed on a twig branch and it snapped beneath her, causing Bellamy to whip around with the sword in the air.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" he whispered as he spun around to Alessia, holding her hands up and removing the garb from her head so he could see her face. Bellamy recovered from the scare and scowled at her. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

"You left me no choice! I had to come after you, come on. I wasn't gonna let you do this alone."

"You haven't had a problem with it before," he noted. She squared her jaw at him, but he shook his head. "Now is not the time. God damn it, Alessia. Stay here. Do not move. If you see someone coming down, scream. Got it?"

She didn't get a chance to say anything before he turned around and went down the secret tunnel very cautiously, the sword in front of him in defense. She spun around and kept the lookout like she was told, finding that it was very uneasy being out in the open again. Three months of not stepping a foot outside of Arkadia and this was her first encounter. Honestly, she didn't miss it.

Especially not when she heard a scream from underneath, in the tunnels. The old Alessia wouldn't have hesitated to go down there; specifically because the scream she heard was a female's, presumably Clarke's. But this Alessia hesitated for a moment before charging down the stairs, finding her heart beating ten times faster than it should have with her hand on the butt of the sword she had stolen from the Ice Nation Grounder. Nevertheless, she ran down the tunnels until she saw a light, where she found a gruesome scene before her: Clarke, tied down to her right and Bellamy in front of her, blood seeping out from his leg. Above him was the Ice Nation Grounder that kidnapped Clarke, one with long hair and black eyes. Alessia had no choice. She drew the weapon from the capsule and pointed it in front of her. Unfortunately for her, however, her hands were shaking. Every inch of her body was shaking. She could make out Clarke's confusion beside her, but had no time to process it. She waved the sword at the kidnapper in front of her.

"Let them go," she demanded. All the Ice Nation Grounder did was laugh as he lifted himself up, kicked Bellamy unconscious, and turned to Alessia with hungry eyes. He reached forward, yanked the sword from Alessia, and threw it across the floor. In a split second, his sword was at her throat and she was trembling.

"No! No, no, no! Don't kill her, please don't kill her! Please! Please, please, please!" Clarke cried. The Grounder looked at Clarke for a moment and his eyes lingered there. Alessia could feel her heart practically in her stomach and her entire body was frozen. Physically, she couldn't move. She was trapped in her own hell, forced to watch as she was helpless yet again.

The Grounder turned back to Alessia and released her from his grasp.

"Don't follow us," he warned, and in the next second, she felt the butt of the sword being hit against her head, and she felt her body drop to the ground as the world faded into a dark color, her last sight being Clarke as she was whisked away by her kidnapper.

* * *

"Bellamy you have to stop," Alessia demanded as she tried to pull Bellamy away from the tracks and set him against the tree so she could examine his wound. His arm was draped around her shoulder, despite the blood that crusted the side of her neck from the injury the Grounder had given her when he knocked her unconscious. Bellamy had the worst of it, though, as the Grounder had managed to get him good with a wound to one of the major arteries in his thigh. She'd made a makeshift tourniquet around it, but it wasn't enough. She would have to cauterize it, but he wasn't standing still long enough for her to explain that. Nevertheless, he was putting extra pressure on his leg that he shouldn't be doing considering the blood loss. He stumbled against her, frustrated.

"I said I'm fine."

"And I said to stop!"

"I have to find her," he pushed, ignoring her orders and moving forward, even when she stopped them in their tracks. "Let go of me, Alessia. I have to find her!"

But right as he said the words, he stepped on his leg the wrong way and it caused him to clench up as he grunted out of the most miserable pain of his life. She finally was able to stop him and set him against a tree, where she tried to catch her breath. As she did, they heard voices behind them. It was Monty.

"Bellamy! Alessia!" he called out, realizing that they were a few yards away from them. Both adults turned to see Monty rush up to them with Kane, Pike, Takeo, and Hannah following closely behind. Alessia was forced away as Monty came in between and noticed the makeshift tourniquet around his upper thigh. He turned to Alessia. "What happened?"

But it wasn't her who responded. Bellamy breathed out slowly, directly at Marcus behind them. "I almost had her!"

Alessia felt someone come up behind her, a few fingers curling around the back of her head to examine her wound. She winced and looked up to find Takeo trying to trace the blood back to its origin. She grabbed his hand and shook her head despite the pain.

"It's fine. I'm fine. It's a concussion, at most." She turned to her father. "Bellamy was stabbed by the Grounder that took Clarke. I did the best with what I had, but I need to get it cauterized and he needs to stay off of it for the next few days. We can't continue."

Kane turned to Pike and nodded. "Pike, find his trail."

The other man shook his head with disdain. "It's useless. He knows he's being followed now."

As they all realized that they had to give up for the remainder of the day, as the sun was starting to set across the horizon, Bellamy wasn't taking it. He lifted himself from the tree and tried to move forward, but he didn't get very far. Kane stopped him with just a firm hand to the shoulder.

"Hey. You can't even walk."

"So what? We give up? Let him kill her?" He removed Kane's hand and stubbornly stomped off, grunting in the immense pain from his leg. Monty went after him, furious.

"Bellamy! I wanna find her, too. But look at your leg. You could die out here and we have no trail—"

"We can't lose Clarke!" he screamed out, loud enough for anyone within the mile radius to be able to hear him. Everyone behind him kept quiet as Bellamy turned back at Monty with desperation in his eyes. To be honest, Bellamy wasn't really sure why he was fighting so hard. But as Alessia watched him, she realized exactly why. As much as Alessia wanted to find Clarke, she knew that they couldn't follow the path, and she also knew that Bellamy was too hurt to continue. But it didn't matter to Bellamy, and it wasn't because he wanted to find her so desperately and to know that she was okay. Sure, that was part of it. But as she looked into his crazed eyes, she realized that it was more of the fact that he wanted it over. He wanted their past at Mount Weather to be over with, to finally be put to bed.

Because what happened at Mount Weather not only haunted her at night, it haunted him. As much as it changed her, it changed him, too. They weren't the same. Maybe he thought that getting Clarke back would bring it all back to normal. Maybe he thought that if Clarke was back, they could all get forgiveness. But it didn't work that way.

"We'll find her." Alessia watched as Monty looked into Bellamy's eyes reassuringly and affirmed him over and over. "Okay? We will figure something out, I promise. But this isn't the way."

And after a while, Bellamy begrudgingly nodded. He knew he wouldn't be able to continue, and he knew that they wouldn't let him even if he decided to. So he agreed, and Takeo stepped forward to sling Bellamy's arm around his shoulders, as Monty did with the other arm, so they could take him back to camp with ease.

* * *

Alessia would be lying if she said she didn't feel uncomfortable sitting around the fire, the flames so close to her face she could feel the embers float off into the night. She was sitting so close to Bellamy that she could feel his breath on her cheek while she stitched up his wound. It had already been cauterized, and she did it so well that she was sure it would hold until they were able to get back to Arkadia with real medical supplies and Dr. Griffin to give it a once-over.

"You'll have to be on some pain medication for a few days," she spoke, her voice as soft as the glowing fire beside of her. She watched as his hand dug into the log underneath him and he shifted uncomfortably, causing her to still her threading. Alessia lifted her head. "Bellamy, I told you to stay still."

"Sorry," he murmured under his breath insincerely. She scowled at him before dipping her head back down to continue stitching. She was so laser-focused on her work that she couldn't see Bellamy as his eyes zeroed in on her face, watching her intense stare while she worked. He remembered that stare, but it was never directed towards providing stitches to him. No, he remembered that stare like it was yesterday: the focus she would achieve when trying to hit her target. As she neared her last stitch, she heard Bellamy whisper to her, so low that only they could hear.

"I miss you," he said, throwing her completely off guard. She stilled her hands to look up and meet his gaze, but found something completely unexpected. It was not longing that she saw (which was, admittedly, what she expected). Instead, she saw that same disappointment in his eyes that she had seen earlier. He continued, finding it necessary to elaborate. "I miss _you_. Not...not whoever _this _is."

Alessia knotted her eyebrows, confused and somewhat offended. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that what happened at Mount Weather destroyed you." She watched as his mouth turned into a hard, thin line. She removed her eyes quickly, turning her cheek almost as if he had hurt her with a cold, hard blow. He moved his head to try and recapture her eyes again. "Oh, come on, Alessia. You can't tell me that you don't know what you're doing here. You have completely changed, you became a different person. You are not the girl I fell in love with and you know that."

"So what?" The young Kane turned her head sharply, somewhat infuriated. He watched her as she bit back her tears. "So, what, Bellamy? I killed hundreds of innocent people and I was _hurt_ and you left me. So you think that my lifestyle changes constitutes an excuse for you abandoning me when I needed you the most?"

Bellamy's eyes widened. "Don't you turn this on me. I tried, Alessia! I tried to help you. I tried to get you back to normal—"

"That's the problem!" she exclaimed in disbelief. "That's the problem, Bellamy! You tried to get me 'back to normal'. I don't want to get back to normal, okay? I did what I did and I am living with it. You chose to take over camp and I chose to step back, what is so wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that?" he repeated incredulously. "Alessia, you have become a completely different person! I did not fall in love with the girl that is afraid to step outside of camp grounds. I tried for weeks to help you, I tried to be there for you but you kept making it so difficult for me to give you the forgiveness you needed. Don't kid yourself here. You left me way before I left you and you know it."

"I didn't leave, Bellamy." She shook her head and leaned forward, throwing the blood-soaked gauze pads away in the fire, along with the extra thread from her suture. "Clarke left. Clarke left and _I _stayed. I stayed with you because I loved you and you threw it right back in my face because you couldn't accept the way I was dealing with my pain. You still can't, so I don't give a damn if you miss me or not. This is who I am and this is how I'm choosing to move on."

"This is who you're pretending to be," he corrected her, staring forward at the fire. She turned to look at him as he spoke. "Yeah, Clarke left. But at least she owned up to what she did. At least she doesn't hide in fear. What you're doing is not moving on. What you're doing is writing down fucking numbers in a fucking journal and pretending like the lives you save are gonna miraculously add up to the lives you took." He turned his head to see her face growing hot, and it wasn't from the fire. His eyes stared into her coldly. "Tell me, Robin Hood. What number do you think will be enough?"

"I am doing the best that I can, Bellamy."

"Yeah? Well it's not enough."

A chill ran down her spine the second he said that name, like it was in spite of her. And just like that, a fury ran through her entire being, and she didn't know what came over her. Suddenly, she found herself throwing her hand back with her palm out, ready to make contact with her face. Instead, she just felt Bellamy's hand come around her palm, forcing it into a fist that was underneath his huge fingers. She fought him, but she wasn't strong enough. He leaned closer, his fingers crushing hers. She could feel her heart beat up in sheer anger as she watched him thrust her hand back to her side.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he proposed, leaning back with narrowed eyes at her.

She could feel that anger that she hadn't felt in a long time. That anger that would wash over her before and blind her, causing her to lapse into rages against her father or anyone else that was in a three mile radius. She hadn't felt anger like that in a while. And when she realized that what she was feeling was that blind anger that had defined her for her entire life, she couldn't help it. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes—tears of pure hatred. She couldn't say anything else. All she did was lift herself up from the log and sprint away, desperate to put as much distance in between them as possible. It wasn't long before she found herself leaning up against a tree, trying to contain herself. God, she was so sick of crying. Every morning she would wake up crying and every evening she would cry herself to sleep. It was her perpetual misery; it was her eternal recurrence. It would never end.

"Skaigada?"

Alessia rubbed her eyes as she heard the voice behind her and quickly realized Takeo was coming up to her side. She turned her head away from him, trying to remove all the evidence of the tears before he got there. But he saw them, and he felt a wave of sadness wash over him. It was a feeling he wasn't used to. As a Grounder, his threshold for sadness was relatively high, as he'd had to deal with lots of sad things as a child because of the clan conflicts. Yet, still, there was something about Alessia Kane crying that didn't sit right with him. It didn't occur to him until then how much Mount Weather had _really _affected her.

"I can't do this anymore," she complained, and she didn't know why she was spilling all of it to Takeo. She turned, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. She barely noticed it when his hand reached out and wiped them away for her as well, the ones she had missed that were streaming down her red face. "It's torture, day in and day out. And the worst part is, he's right. This isn't me, but I don't know how to fix it! I don't know how to fix it, Takeo. I just...I don't have the answers anymore."

He knotted his eyebrows. "Who said you were supposed to have all the answers? No one has all the answers. Hey...it will be alright. It will be okay, Skaigada. I promise."

_You can't promise that, _she thought, but for some reason she found herself not saying it. Instead, she found herself leaning forward to touch her lips to his. It wasn't hard, seeing as he was already standing so close to her that his breath was on her lips anyways. She kissed him once to find that he wasn't kissing back, but then she moved forward more and kissed him again. This time, he was more responsive, almost as if he'd wanted it for a second time. She continued to kiss him, finding the comfort in the unusual. Her life had been so cut and dry for the past three months. Save a life, save a life, save a life. Somehow, kissing Takeo made her forget about the pain that she felt inside, if only for a second. It was the second after that pain had subsided when she realized how wrong it was. That was when she realized how she wasn't kissing Takeo because she cared about him in that way, it was because she didn't want to feel that anger inside of her anymore. She wanted to experience something pure, something good. And that kiss was as pure as it got.

"I'm sorry," Alessia whispered as she pulled away and lowered her head. Takeo stumbled back, very confused as she shook her head and traced her finger on her lip. Everything felt wrong. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

He opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't get a chance. She slipped out of his grasp and walked away. The pain was back again, this time tenfold. That's when she realized that no matter what she did, it would never end. Her misery was her curse, and she would have to live with it. For now.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review! ****I know I said I'm on an indefinite hiatus but consider this a tiny blip that I'm fixing. I'm still on hiatus for the most part. If this changes I will certainly let you all know. **

**I'm not doing review responses for this chapter, mostly because I'm tired and I rewrote this whole chapter. If I end up getting a chance to do it in the future I will but I hope this chapter is reassuring for all of you that missed it when I had to remove it from the story. Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah again! **


	32. Ye Who Enter Here

**Hiatus is suspended for now(ish) because this chapter is intense and I wrote the next chapter. It should probably be updated sometime next week. **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the Pilot. **

* * *

**Ye Who Enter Here**

Alessia listened intently through the stethoscope as the child before her took in deep breaths as directed. There were slight discrepancies in her lungs, but as far as Alessia was concerned, they weren't much to worry about. Alessia, herself, took in a deep breath as she unplugged herself from the stethoscope and slung it around her neck. She looked up at the adult that brought the child in, thinking it was something much more serious than a common cough.

"He'll be fine," Alessia assured the adult, a woman no older than twenty-five. She was from Farm Station, like the child. "I think it's just a minor asthma attack. It may be all the dust that's been collecting here. Just keep him hydrated and try to take him outside for a few minutes to clear his lungs. If it gets worse, you may just have to take him back to Arkadia. Bring him back if he has any other problems."

The child in front of her coughed into his hand, causing Alessia's focus to shift on a dime. She bent down and shook her head at the kid. "Oh, no, not in your hand. You can pass germs that way. When you need to cough, turn your head to the side and cough into your elbow."

"My elbow?" repeated the child, no more than six. He looked up at her with confused and cautious eyes. "Won't my elbow catch the germs, then?"

She smiled. "Better your elbow than your neighbor."

"My mommy always said to wash your hands after you cough. I always thought she was lying to me," the boy said pointedly. Alessia snickered under her breath.

"She wasn't lying, kid. You need to wash your hands. It's gross if you don't."

"Well, I thought she was. It doesn't matter anyways. Mommy's gone." The child dropped his eyes, and the atmosphere in the room shifted on a dime. Alessia felt her heart give a squeeze and she let her emotions flood in for a moment. It was even harder for her when she remembered where she was standing, but unfortunately for her, Dr. Griffin wasn't one to take no for an answer. Besides, she'd moved all their patients to Mount Weather anyways. The twenty-something woman standing beside the child intervened quickly.

"Colin, thank Ms. Kane for her help, please."

"Thank you, Ms. Kane," the child repeated in a monotone-like voice. Alessia didn't say anything, but rather gave the child a small smile and lifted herself up as the kid hopped down from the exam table and left the room. As she stared after the kid with remorse in her eyes, she realized suddenly that there was someone else entering the room. It was someone that she was rather hoping wouldn't be around Mount weather, but then she remembered that Raven had brought Bellamy, Gina, Octavia, and Takeo back from Arkadia to the Mountain so they could help with the people of Farm Station. Alessia turned her back from her visitor and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I have to start inventory on the medicine, Takeo. Do you need something?"

"Turning around would be a good start," he quipped. She put down the bottle of pills she'd been holding with a roll of her eyes and slowly turned around, trying to maintain a straight face as she shrugged and started at him, her eyes full of a blank stare.

"Do you need something?" she repeated, finding it extremely uncomfortable. It was funny, actually. Before, she had been so angry at him she refused to look at him. Now, she refused to look at him because she was angry at herself for what she'd done. She wasn't a fool. She'd played with his emotions, something that was extremely unfair of her. She just hoped it wouldn't affect anything.

By the look in his eyes, she could tell she would have to hope harder.

"There's an injured Grounder in the mess hall," he informed her. Alessia sighed and nodded, reaching behind her to grab the tools she needed before following Takeo out to the mess hall, which luckily wasn't far from the medical room. When she got there, she saw a Grounder sitting on a chair, hands tied, surrounded by Pike, Bellamy, and Octavia. Without wasting time on greetings, Alessia grabbed a chair in front of the grounder and started to dab at her wounds to clear up the blood. Pike crossed his arms over his chest, confused.

"Don't you need to know what happened?"

"What's to know? She's got a busted lip and a bloody eye. Let me do my job, Pike."

"No need for the attitude," Pike reprimanded, throwing a look of disdain at Bellamy, who shrugged at him. Alessia exhaled frustratedly. She really didn't prepare herself for having to deal with Pike _and _Bellamy in one day. And it just got better, as Sinclair, Raven, and Gina crowded around her as well while Bellamy's booming voice commanded the room.

"Listen up. Okay, if we want to get to Polis before the attack, we have to move."

Sinclair looked over at him in confusion. "Attack? Do we have confirmation of that?"

"We radioed, but no answer."

"They may already be dead for all we know! And if they are, we need to be ready to respond." Pike exclaimed, assuming the worst possible scenario. At the intensity of his voice, Alessia frowned. She never did like Charles Pike, not even when he was a teacher. She remembered the days she spent fooling around in the back of his classroom, or lack thereof because he practically had a video camera on her the entire time to keep her from doing stupid shit. The guy was too intense for his own good.

Sinclair looked just as peeved, too. He looked over at Pike with a look just shy of disgust. "Don't make this about the missiles."

"This is about survival! We don't have the numbers, but the missiles in this mountain even the playing field and you know I'm right!"

"Even if I did agree with you, we still don't have the launch codes."

"No, but we have me," Raven interrupted, causing both Pike and Sinclair to lose sight of their conversation and look back at her. Sinclair cocked a smile and walked over to her, shaking his head.

"And you accuse engineers of arrogance?"

"I'm growing as a person." She shrugged and walked away to do as she said she would. As Alessia was dabbing at the Grounder's wounds with a q-tip, suddenly Pike's hand came down and yanked the Grounder up from her seat with a rough command to come with him. Alessia ran out of her chair as he dragged the Grounder out of the mountain.

"Hey! I wasn't done, asshole!" she shouted, but he didn't listen to her. He merely kept going, and so all she did was sigh and cross her arms over her chest, cautiously turning around. But the sight she saw beside of her nearly made her heart break in two. There they were, Gina and Bellamy, locked in a sweet embrace, a goodbye kiss of sorts. Alessia wanted to move, but she physically couldn't. It was like her entire body just froze in mere heartbreak.

"Don't do anything stupidly heroic," Gina warned him, a small smile on his face. Bellamy returned the favor with a slight nod.

"Garden-variety heroic. Got it."

She reached up and gave him a shorter kiss, then pulled him into her arms for a long hug. As they hugged, Bellamy found his eyes open to see Alessia behind them, shifting uncomfortably as she watched. For some odd reason, the two of them could not take their eyes off of each other, no matter how wrong it was that Bellamy was in another girl's arms. Alessia felt her entire body heat up with a mixture of emotions: guilt, rage, and everything in between.

Gina could feel the tenseness in Bellamy's shoulders, and so she released him a bit and stepped to the side so she could see what the matter was. When she saw Alessia, Gina tensed up as well. Alessia cleared her throat in an awkward manner for the second time in the past fifteen minutes.

"You should get going, I'd imagine."

Bellamy looked at her challengingly. "Are you saying you're not coming with us?"

"You should know me better than that," she chided, almost immediately regretting the words the moment she said them. Her face changed on a dime, as did his. Bellamy nodded slowly.

"Yeah, well, I used to." He turned his head and kissed Gina one more time, as if to show Alessia that he couldn't care less about her presence. When he pulled away, he whispered to his girlfriend, "Stay safe."

Gina didn't respond, and Bellamy didn't make eye contact with Alessia again. Instead, he walked off, brushing past her with nothing more to say. When he was gone, Gina and Alessia avoided eye contact and walked off in separate directions, but Alessia was stopped when Takeo came up in front of her, fit with a hardened expression upon his lips.

"Would now be an ideal time for me to ask you what happened between you and Blake?"

Alessia rolled her eyes and started walking, but he continued to keep up with her. "It's a long story, okay? One I really don't feel like getting into. But if you want the short version, here it is: we're broken up and he's with another girl now. There. Happy?"

"Not quite. Do you still love him?"

Alessia stopped short in her tracks, turning to Takeo with widened eyes. She scoffed, as if almost afraid to answer the question. "What's the issue, Takeo? Are you fishing around to see if I still have feelings for Bellamy? Would this have anything to do with what happened last night? Newsflash, in case you haven't heard, I'm broken. Is that what you wanted to hear? I'm broken, I can't fix it, and so _yes_, I kissed you. It was a mistake and I'm sorry but can we just move on now?"

"It was not a mistake," Takeo argued, causing Alessia to shift her weight uncomfortably. She tried not to look at him, but it was impossible. His gaze caught hers as he continued seriously, "Not for me, at least. _I_ am not sorry. And I will not move on."

Silence hung around them for a while as Alessia tried to process his words. This was exactly what she was afraid of. She would be lying if she said she didn't realize sooner how he felt about her. She had seen it in his eyes the second they saw each other again in the forest when meeting with Indra. Even after everything that had happened at Mount Weather, he still cared about her that way. If Alessia wasn't so damaged, she might have found the offer enticing. Takeo was the perfect person for her, unlike Bellamy. He didn't lie, he didn't try to cover up his feelings, he didn't try to manipulate her, and above all, despite his decision the night of the attack, he would never intentionally hurt Alessia and that was something she admired. But all of those things just proved that he deserved someone better, someone pure. She was anything but, and that's why she couldn't respond.

Thankfully, Raven saved her after a moment. The mechanic approached them quickly, breathless. "Alessia, Alessia! I know this really isn't your style anymore...I don't even think it ever was, but I need your help on the launch codes in the control room."

Alessia turned to Raven, slowly regaining her focus. "Um, Raven...I don't think that's such a good idea. I haven't been in that room since..."

"I know. I know. But I really need help, okay? It's like a twelve digit code. If I get your help, I can have you out of there in an hour, tops. I promise." Alessia still wavered, and so Raven tugged on her arm in an attempt to beg. "Alessia, _please. _I wouldn't ask if it weren't important. I don't really trust any of the Farm Station people, they're too involved. Please?"

Against her best judgement, Alessia knew she could not let Raven down. The brunette took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Alright. Fine, I'll do it. But I need a radio on me and if a patient calls in, I have to leave. Jackson is still at Arkadia packing our supplies and Abby's on the mission with my dad so we're short-handed."

"That's totally fine. Thank you!" Raven exclaimed and then turned her head to the Grounder next to them, standing silently as if contemplating his existential crisis. Had it not been urgent, Raven would've taken a moment to ask what was wrong, but she didn't have the time. "Takeo, you too? We could really use the help. Besides, I don't think you want to be wandering around the mess hall alone..."

Takeo looked down at Alessia, who avoided his gaze at every cost. It was as if she lifted her eyes to look at him, she would be damned. Therefore, at the risk of sacrificing himself to thirty-plus Ark survivors, he shook his head briskly.

"With Octavia gone, I should be patrolling the entrance. I'll take a walkie if I'm needed." He threw one last look towards Alessia, who involuntarily caught his glance. She quickly averted once their eyes locked, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting to her maximum discomfort. Takeo split immediately, walking off to the nearest exit. When he left, Raven noticed Alessia throw a glance over her shoulder at him and saw a visible shudder run through her friend's spine. When Alessia turned back, the girl had exhaled a breath she had seemingly been holding in the entire time. Raven stared, confused.

"What?"

"Walk." Alessia frowned at her friend's request, but nevertheless complied as they started their trip down to the control room. As they moved, Raven asked, "Was it just me or is there something going on between you and Takeo? It seemed a little tense back there."

"It was just you."

"I don't think it was. Alessia, I don't get it. You and Bellamy won't speak to each other, you spend all of your time in medical, and you barely stepped foot out of camp until a few days ago. Now you're acting weird around Takeo? What the hell is going on with you?"

Alessia frowned as they turned a corner down a level. "Look, maybe one day I'll write a book about it, okay? But today we have more important things to worry about, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do. So instead of the book, why don't we go for the CliffNotes version? I always cheated and watched the movie, anyways."

"You're not gonna let this one go, are you?"

"Nope."

As they came up to the control room, Alessia sighed exasperatedly and turned to Raven, throwing her hands up. "Fine. You want the CliffNotes? Here it is: Bellamy broke up with me three months ago because he thought I changed too much since Mount Weather. Which is probably true, I won't lie. We left Arkadia to find Clarke and after we did and she got away, we got into a huge fight. I stormed off, Takeo came and found me, and...and..."

"And what?"

"I kissed him." Raven's eyes nearly fell out of her head and her mouth nearly fell off of her face. Alessia rubbed her temples hard, trying to get rid of the headache that began to plague her. "I know! I know, okay? But it happened and I can't take it back, no matter how much I want to. It's just...whenever Bellamy looks at me now, all I see is disappointment. When Takeo looks at me, he _sees_ me. Really _sees, _you know? Like he understands how hard it was for me to go through what I did at Mount Weather. Bellamy just doesn't understand that and I don't think he ever will."

"Sweet Jesus, Alessia! Haven't you learned your lesson with Calix and Bellamy already?" Raven hissed.

"Of course I have! And I don't want to hurt Takeo like I hurt Calix, trust me." Alessia paused, looking off into the distance for a moment. "Although, to be fair, Calix did fall in love with Z and they ran off together. He seemed happy enough to me."

The raven-haired mechanic reached forward and punched Alessia in the arm, eliciting the brunette victim to silently express her pain. Raven talked over her groans while Alessia rubbed the spot to remove the pain from her arm. "He was a mess after you broke up with him! Every time he saw you with Bellamy, we couldn't find him for three hours!"

"I'm still a little suspicious about that. I don't think that was because of me and Bellamy. I could never find Z, either..."

Suddenly, Raven reached forward and placed both her hands on Alessia's shoulders. "Alessia, listen to me. You and I both know you're not over Bellamy. Personally, I don't even think he's over you either. But I think the best thing for you to do is to leave Takeo out of this. I think you need to take some time for yourself and figure out who the real Alessia is and who you want to share that with because otherwise, you're just gonna end up hurting more people. Don't you get that?"

Raven didn't realize how much the words really meant to Alessia, watching her flinch just as she said the last sentence. Right as Raven opened her mouth to apologize, the door to the control room spun open, where Gina and Sinclair both stood on the other side. Gina stared at Alessia, blank-faced, while Sinclair sighed at them out of frustration.

"Reyes, Kane. This isn't time for gossip. We have launch codes to figure out. Get in here!"

Raven threw a look at Alessia behind her shoulder before entering the control room. As Alessia stepped in, Gina moved to the side and closed the door behind her. The moment Alessia came through the threshold, she could feel the memory hit her like she'd been hit with a semi. Flashes back to that night, to the screaming in her ear from Clarke, Bellamy, Monty, Cage, and Dante. The firing of the bullet from her gun as it pierced Dante's heart. She remembered looking around at all of them, her friends, to see them look with something she'd never seen before. Fear. And then somehow her hand was on the lever, and then...

"Are you alright?" Alessia's eyes snapped open to see Gina looking right at her, partially concerned and partially distracted. She watched as Gina's eyes floated cautiously to the table Alessia had gripped onto, her fingers turning a lovely beet red shade. The young Kane girl straightened, shaking her hand loose to regain feeling. A small, reluctant smile crossed her lips.

"Yep. Fine, perfectly fine."

* * *

Somewhat around an hour later, while Alessia was painstakingly checking through all the analogs to try and find some mention of a nuclear launch code, she could tell that Raven was getting frustrated with her lack of success.

"Damn it," Raven whispered under her breath as she desperately searched for the right combination. Behind her, Sinclair raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to that Raven Reyes confidence?"

"It's a twelve-digit code, there are a trillion combinations." She threw a look over her shoulder. "It's gonna take me a minute."

Sinclair lifted himself from his chair and walked over to Alessia and Gina, who were somewhat awkwardly sitting a few feet away from each other on two different computers.

"Gina, Alessia. What have you got?"

"Don't look at me," Gina said defensively, raising her arms above her head, "I'm just a grunt."

Sinclair looked at Alessia, who shrugged as well. Half of the time, she didn't even know what was in the analogs she was looking through. When Sinclair saw her look of defeat, he sighed heavily and turned around in what seemed to be exasperation.

"Oh, come on, guys! It's gonna be dark soon. We're working analog, we're working digital...what are we missing?"

"How is the President gonna remember a number that long?" Gina challenged, sounding utterly confused. Raven scoffed.

"Not well."

"Wanna bet he wrote it down somewhere?"

"Oh, come on! That's like setting the launch codes to all zeros!"

Raven looked at Sinclair to get him to back up her claim, but she saw something different cross his face. He pursed his lips and shrugged.

"And yet, it's better than anything we've come up with."

"I'll check the President's office," Gina decided, looking at Sinclair for the go-ahead. The lead engineer tossed her the keys.

"We'll keep working the tech angle. Hopefully, one of us will get lucky."

"Like that's ever happened," Raven murmured under her breath.

As Gina moved out of the room, Sinclair stopped her with a wave of his hand towards the other brunette teenager in the room. He then ordered, "Alessia, go with her."

Alessia and Gina both looked up at him in alarm. The two of them exchanged an awkward glance and looked back at Sinclair with the same response.

"That's not necessary..."

"Yes, it is necessary." Sinclair hitched his thumb out of the door. "Kane, go."

And Alessia knew better than to defy Sinclair. Maybe if she had been the old Alessia beginning to pick a fight every second of every day, she would've stayed and wouldn't have cared what Sinclair did with her. But this Alessia was one that walked on eggshells twenty-four/seven. So she lifted herself out of her chair and slowly walked towards Gina to the door, where they both exhaled and walked out of the room together to the President's office.

The elevator ride was awkward, to say the least. Alessia was clenching her fist so hard she could feel her nails dig into her skin. Gina looked around nervously, tapping her fingers against her side. A few seconds went by and Alessia was starting to get annoyed by the sound. So, in an attempt to get her to stop, she tried to drown out the noise with her own voice.

"So, um, where do you think the launch code will be written down? Big numbers on the side of his desk?" Alessia asked snidely. Gina looked at her, clearly offended.

"What? Do you have a better idea?"

"No. But I'm just saying, you don't actually think he wrote down the launch codes, do you? He was President for how many years? You can remember a twelve-digit code when you run an entire group of people."

"You know, Alessia, I still don't hear a better idea coming from you," Gina retorted. Alessia turned her head and scoffed. "Now I know what Bellamy meant when he said you lost your touch."

Alessia turned her head with eyes wide just as the elevator door opened in front of them. Gina looked back at her and sighed, clearly regretting her previous words.

"I'm sorry. That was harsh. I didn't mean to drag him into this."

"Well, you just did." Alessia stepped out of the elevator and started to storm down the hall. Gina followed her as Alessia shook her head furiously. "God, it's not enough for you to rub it in my face every time you kiss him! You have to talk about him, too. Talk about him hating me, that is."

"I thought you were over him. If you were over him, it shouldn't bother you."

"Are you insane?!" Alessia spun around, facing Gina head-on. Gina stopped in her tracks, seeing the fury in Alessia's eyes. "You think I've moved on from him? I love him! You think that goes away overnight? Of course not! And you'd be a fool to think he'd moved on from me, either. He loves me, too, you know."

"Really? Well, does he know that you kissed Takeo?" Gina challenged softly, crossing her arms over her chest. Alessia fell completely silent, her facial expression turning down as she realized what Gina meant. "If he did, I'd beg to differ."

Alessia frowned. "What, are you gonna tell him, then? You can't keep him any other way, can you?"

"No, actually. I'm not going to tell him. Because I'm one hundred percent sure that he could care less right now." Gina shook her head. "He's happy, Alessia. Doesn't that matter to you at all? Why do you have to ruin that for him by causing all of this drama?"

With that said, Gina walked forward, around Alessia, and turned into the President's office, leaving Alessia in the middle of the hallway to process her words. She stood in the hall for a few moments, but then decided that she couldn't continue with this. It was back to the infirmary for her, to wallow away in broken ankles and asthma attacks for the rest of her life until she could come up with a more permanent solution to atone for what she'd done at that Mountain.

Just as she entered the elevator, she could hear Gina come onto the radio in her pocket.

_"Gina to Raven, come in."_

_"_Go_ for Raven." _

_"I got nothing. No launch codes. Guess their luck is still holding."  
_

_"Okay. Keep looking, we'll do the same." _

And then there was a beep, and just as the next beep came in from Gina, there was suddenly nothing. The elevator doors began to close, and as they did, she could hear a concerning sound from down the hallway. Next thing Alessia knew, she put her hand through the doors of the elevators and from the walkie, Raven's voice rung out.

_"Gina? Gina? Gina, are you there?" _

Alessia quickly grabbed the walkie from her pocket and pressed the button on the side so she could speak. She whispered, realizing that there was some semblance of a threat against them. Her heart began to pound and her speech inevitably stuttered.

"R-Raven, this is Alessia."

_"Alessia, what happened?" _

"I'm not s-sure. I heard s-s-something...I'll check it out."

_"No! No, no, don't! Wait for_—" But her instincts took over and Alessia turned off the radio, stepping carefully towards the President's old office. She had no gun, no sword, and no weapon of any kind. All she had were the years of training that she had let slip through her fingers in the past three months. Did that matter to her? No. Because if she left Gina behind, there would be another black mark on her record inside this goddamn mountain.

Meanwhile, back in the control room, Raven started to panic as soon as she heard Alessia's message. Just as she braced to call Takeo from outside, she heard a rapid knock on the door. Sinclair immediately opened it and there was Takeo, out of breath from running.

"Where is she? Where is she?" Takeo looked around the room, but could not find Alessia. He looked back at Raven. "A Grounder, Azgeda. A vent was open, he must have gotten through from there. Where is she?"

"Down two floors, the President's office." Before she could get out the whole sentence, Raven saw Takeo run, not bothering with the elevator but taking the level of stairs that they not had the passcode information to.

Back downstairs, Alessia slowly rounded the corner of the President's office, her entire body on edge. The first thing she saw was papers scattered everywhere and Gina amongst them, her body nearly lifeless on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood. Just as Alessia's eyes went wide, she felt a body come up behind her and grab her by the neck, putting her in a choke hold. She gasped for air and then saw a knife come up above her, tempting to swing down towards her heart.

Instead, she reached her hands up and grabbed the blade, blood dripping down from her hands as she grunted and desperately tried to breathe. She slammed her body up so that her foot could come down and stomp on the Grounder's, giving her cause to pry the blade from his hands and knock it onto the floor. With all of her strength, she elbowed the Grounder in his torso to blow him back, and when she was able to breathe, she put all of her will into a well-delivered punch. The Grounder stumbled, blood dripping from his mouth and nose as a result of the punch. Instead of fighting her again, the Grounder ran out, and while Alessia thought about going after him, she remembered Gina lying in a pool of her own blood. Quickly, Alessia spun around and dropped to the ground. While all of this had been happening, Gina had crawled over to where she'd dropped her radio and messaged a warning to Raven and Sinclair.

_"Gina? Alessia?" _

"Raven, we got a problem. A Grounder set of the self-destruct sequence. He has the codes on his arm, you have to get them!"

_"How much time, Gina?" _

_"Forty-five seconds! Raven!" _

Alessia's eyes widened as she realized what Gina had said, but nevertheless, she watched as Gina dropped the walkie from her hand, starting to fade. Alessia rolled her over onto her side to assess her wounds, but she couldn't find the injuries. Instead, she found multiple, no doubt puncturing all of her major organs and causing her to bleed internally as well as the pool of blood that stained her shirt. Gina stopped her as she watched Alessia fumble around to try and stop the bleeding.

"Alessia! You have to run!"

"I can't!" Alessia shouted. "I can't leave you behind. I will not leave you behind."

"You have to. You have to. Please tell..." Gina took in a deep breath, and then there was nothing else. Alessia's eyes widened further, completely shell shocked.

"N-No! No! No, no, no, no, no! No!" Alessia cried out, trying to resuscitate the victim. All the while, she could hear the countdown of the self-destruct timer behind her and she knew that it was the last few seconds of her life. Everything became hazy, but then she felt herself being ripped away from the floor and ushered out the room. Beside her was Takeo, shouting at her to move faster. Eventually, when he realized that she was in a state of panic, he took her up into his arms and ran for the both of them to find the exit to the Reaper caves. The moment they stepped out of the door was the moment the mountain blew up completely, leaving them in darkness as the fire blew them over the edge of the caves and into the stream below.

* * *

"What's going on?" Bellamy asked aloud to all of the people in the room waiting for Echo to return with word from the attack that she had told them about. "Where the hell is she?"

"Bell, maybe we were wrong about this," Octavia tried. Bellamy shook his head.

"I don't understand."

Kane stepped forward and clasped a hand on the young, confused man's shoulder. "Stand down."

Bellamy nodded and handed his gun to Kane reluctantly. But just as he turned to go to the other soldiers beside him, Bellamy heard a voice in his pocket. Raven.

_"Bellamy? Bellamy, come in! The Grounders attacked Mount Weather!" _

Immediately, Octavia, Kane, Clarke, Abby, and everyone else looked at each other in alarm. "What are you talking about?" he radioed back.

_"It's gone. It's gone. They're all gone. Sinclair and I are the only ones left. I-I'm so sorry..." _

Beside him, Marcus's eyes went wide at the information. He knew his daughter was at Mount Weather, and it was like an entire truck just ran over him as Raven said "Sinclair and I" with no stipulations. Kane snatched the walkie out of Bellamy's hands as the young man stood in shock and radioed to Raven.

"Reyes, this is Kane. What the hell are you talking about? Let me speak to Alessia." There was no response. "Damn it, let me speak to my daughter! Damn it, Raven! Raven! Please, please, let me speak to her!"

_"I'm so sorry..." _Raven cried, sobbing over the end of the walkie. They could hear her weeping as everyone in the room looked at each other with tears in their eyes as they realized what this meant. Kane started to tea up as well, water filling his ducts. Bellamy looked at the ground for a moment, a few tears slipping out of his eyes before he looked up at Clarke, who could barely stand to keep hers in but did the best that he could. A single thought sunk through all of their minds.

_Alessia Kane is gone. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

* * *

**RHatch89: **Thanks! :)

**RellaRose100: **I don't think it's necessarily Takeo's fault that they kissed (it's definitely Alessia's because she's literally so heartbroken and kissing Takeo made her feel worse, so it didn't even help) but it is going to cause a bit of a rift between them in the next few chapters. Aw, I'm not mean! Everyone will have a (somewhat) happyish ending to this season, I promise! Thanks for reading!

**Guest: **No, of course not. He's a real character and he obviously has real feelings. Alessia may or may not return them, but in the end, he will find a purpose and I don't have plans to get rid of him just because Alessia and Bellamy get back together (if they do, that is). She won't be "experimenting" with Takeo, but this will really teach her a lesson about who she is and what she wants. Thanks for reading!

**Fallen-Rose2517: **Thank you! The next chapter will really deal with what happened from a clear view. You know, I was planning on making him more understanding but you gotta realize where Bellamy's coming from, you know? Moping around really isn't a great relationship dynamic, and that's essentially what Alessia did. Hopefully it'll be a little more clear in the next few chapters. Thanks for the review!

**HALEBTRASH: **When they first reunite, not really because obviously as this chapter has gone, they think she's dead so Clarke and Alessia aren't really going to care as much, but I think in a future chapter she will probably be very upset with Clarke for leaving her and will make it known to her. Thanks for the review!

**caymanislands: **I hate it too! But they'll reconcile soon(ish). "Badass" will take a while, but she'll get there! Thanks for reviewing!

**Samantha: **Lol apparently. Although I wouldn't say Takeo loves her, it's more of a beginning stage of a relationship, you know? Anyways, yes the chapter is heartbreaking, and it is really hard on both of them so I can understand where Bellamy comes from but also it really is tough on Alessia. Thanks so much and here's the chapter! Thanks for the review!

**Bee-back: **Aww! Yeah, it was a tough one. I think I got rid of the "it's not enough" line when I had to rewrite the chapter oops I'll try to add that one back in again if I can, but it was still heartbreaking, I agree. I feel bad for Alessia but also Bellamy's been through things too and I think his frustration will really be clear in the next chapter. Takeo will be there to sort of help her understand who she is and help her become what she needs to become. Then, he'll find his own place within the Grounders and he'll have more of a purpose. Haha long reviews are fine and I'm really glad you like this chapter and the story. Here's the chapter, I'm sorry for the wait! Thanks for reviewing!

**GraceTM86: **Aww! But thank you! Their story will be revealed next chapter and they'll find their way back to each other soon(ish). Haha, here's the chapter! Sorry for the wait. Thanks so much for the review!

**LoveFiction2016: **Thank you!

**peachy48: **Thank you! Yeah, I figured she needed a bit of a chance, you know? I know, the whole thing with Takeo is a little nerve-wracking. Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but here it is! THANKS SO MUCH!

**Bee-back: **Aw thank you!

**Guest: **Thanks! Here's the chapter!

**Guest: **Thank you! I'm not really sure but I believe it was Alessia who kissed him (in any case, I made it so that Alessia kissed him because I felt like it was more appropriate, and also more in character for Takeo). Thanks for reviewing!

**Mel219: **Thanks. Yes, it is a Bellamy fic, but that doesn't mean it can't come with its issues! I'm sorry that it's exhausting for you to keep up, but it is a fanfiction and that does mean it comes with a little bit of drama. And yes, she does make it harder than it needs to be! That's the point! Raven pointed out earlier in this chapter what she's doing is wrong and she knows that, but it's just who she is. Unfortunately, Gina's not around anymore, but Gina did make a very good point when she said that Bellamy was happier with her, so maybe I agree, but she's not in the story any more so unfortunately, that can't happen. Thanks for your review!

**Guest: **Here you go! Thanks so much.

**TheShield: **Thank you! Haha I like Bellarke in the books, but not so much in the TV show. Sorry for the hiatus, but lots of work to do and little time to do it :) Thanks for reviewing!


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